These are prompts designed for responses that are songs and song lyrics. Visually they xan provide you with the inspiration for crafting a scene that speaks in rhymes and rhythm!

1. Prompt: In the moonlit embrace of a city park, two hearts collided. Craft lyrics that capture the magic of unexpected love.
   
2. Prompt: Amidst urban chaos, find harmony. Create lyrics that celebrate the rhythm of city life and the music hidden in everyday sounds.
   
3. Prompt: Dive into the ocean's depths with lyrical prowess. Tell the tale of a mermaid's longing for the surface world in a melodic masterpiece.
   
4. Prompt: Unravel the mystery of a forgotten forest. Let your lyrics paint the enchantment of ancient trees and whispered secrets in the wind.
   
5. Prompt: Capture the essence of a summer romance on a sandy beach. Craft lyrics that evoke the warmth of sunsets and the sweetness of fleeting moments.
   
6. Prompt: Explore the cosmos through lyrics. Write a song that dances among the stars, narrating the celestial love story of constellations.
   
7. Prompt: Unveil the emotions of a lone wanderer in a desert landscape. Your lyrics should echo the yearning for connection under the vast, starry sky.
   
8. Prompt: Create a lyrical battle between light and shadow, exploring the contrasts and connections found in the play of sunlight and darkness.
   
9. Prompt: Dive into the bustling energy of a vibrant marketplace. Craft lyrics that capture the colors, sounds, and stories echoing through crowded streets.
   
10. Prompt: Conjure lyrics that embody the spirit of rebellion. Tell the tale of a revolution through the passionate voices of those who dare to challenge the status quo.
    
11. Prompt: Explore the journey of self-discovery in the lyrics of a song. Paint a vivid portrait of personal growth, resilience, and embracing one's true identity.
    
12. Prompt: Weave a lyrical tapestry that reflects the changing seasons. Capture the essence of spring's renewal, summer's warmth, autumn's reflection, and winter's stillness.
    
13. Prompt: Tell a timeless love story through lyrics. Create a ballad that spans generations, expressing the enduring nature of true love.
    
14. Prompt: Craft lyrics that resonate with the rhythm of a train journey. Capture the fleeting landscapes, diverse faces, and the emotions carried through each station.
    
15. Prompt: Immerse your lyrics in the tranquility of a mountain lake. Paint a picture of serene reflections, echoing winds, and the silent poetry of nature.
    
16. Prompt: Spin a lyrical web that tells the tale of a misunderstood villain. Explore their motives, struggles, and the shadows that led them astray.
    
17. Prompt: Dive into the emotional waves of a stormy sea. Craft lyrics that mirror the turbulence of heartbreak and the eventual calm that follows.
    
18. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a time-traveling adventurer. Explore the highs and lows of navigating through different eras and the wisdom gained along the way.
    
19. Prompt: Create lyrics that dance with the flames of a bonfire. Capture the warmth, camaraderie, and shared stories around the crackling firelight.
    
20. Prompt: Explore the melodies hidden within a rainstorm. Craft lyrics that celebrate the beauty of rainfall, the rhythm of droplets, and the cleansing nature of storms.
    
21. Prompt: Dive into the magic of a carnival with your lyrics. Paint a picture of whimsical rides, cotton candy dreams, and the laughter that echoes through the night.
    
22. Prompt: Craft lyrics that embrace the untamed spirit of a wild horse. Explore the metaphorical journey of breaking free, galloping through open fields, and finding one's own path.
    
23. Prompt: Tell the lyrical story of a celestial dance between the sun and the moon. Capture the beauty of their cosmic connection and the poetry in their eternal chase.
    
24. Prompt: Explore the concept of dreams within your lyrics. Dive into the surreal landscapes, aspirations, and challenges found in the realm of slumber.
    
25. Prompt: Capture the allure of a hidden garden in your lyrics. Paint a poetic picture of blooming flowers, whispered secrets, and the beauty that thrives away from prying eyes.
    
26. Prompt: Craft lyrics that embody the resilience of a lone tree in a vast desert. Explore its endurance, silent wisdom, and the stories etched in its rings.
    
27. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a cosmic love affair between a comet and a star. Explore the beauty of their fleeting encounters across the vastness of space.
    
28. Prompt: Dive into the lyrics of a mystical forest. Uncover the secrets of ancient trees, mythical creatures, and the whispers that guide wanderers through its depths.
    
29. Prompt: Create a lyrical journey through a carnival of emotions. Explore the highs of joy, the twists of surprise, and the bittersweet melodies that accompany life's rollercoaster.
    
30. Prompt: Explore the lyrical landscape of a ghost town. Capture the echoes of forgotten stories, abandoned dreams, and the lingering spirits that still roam its deserted streets.
    
31. Prompt: Craft lyrics that tell the story of an abandoned lighthouse. Explore the symbolism of its guiding light, lost sailors, and the loneliness that echoes through its tower.
    
32. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a resilient phoenix rising from the ashes. Explore themes of rebirth, transformation, and the fiery spirit that conquers adversity.
    
33. Prompt: Create lyrics that celebrate the beauty of diversity. Explore the metaphorical garden where different flowers bloom together, forming a vibrant tapestry of unity.
    
34. Prompt: Dive into the lyrics of a haunted mansion. Uncover the ghostly tales, creaking corridors, and the melancholic melodies that linger within its forgotten walls.
    
35. Prompt: Craft a lyrical ode to the enduring power of friendship. Explore the shared laughter, the comforting silence, and the unwavering support that defines true companionship.
    
36. Prompt: Tell the lyrical story of a nomad wandering through open landscapes. Explore the freedom, solitude, and self-discovery found in the journey of a wandering soul.
    
37. Prompt: Explore the lyrics of a cosmic love triangle between the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. Capture the cosmic dance, eclipses, and the eternal romance in the skies.
    
38. Prompt: Craft lyrics that celebrate the resilience of a lone wolf. Explore its untamed spirit, the moonlit hunts, and the echoes of its howls through the wilderness.
    
39. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a forgotten pirate's treasure. Explore the map, the buried chest, and the adventurous spirit that seeks the fortune hidden in the sands.
    
40. Prompt: Dive into the lyrics of a celestial symphony. Capture the harmonious dance of planets, the cosmic melodies, and the grandeur of the universe's orchestration.
    
41. Prompt: Create a lyrical journey through the vibrant colors of a market bazaar. Explore the spices, textiles, and the lively exchanges that define the heartbeat of the marketplace.
    
42. Prompt: Craft lyrics that echo the call of a siren luring sailors. Explore the enchantment, the treacherous waves, and the irresistible song that guides ships towards an unknown fate.
    
43. Prompt: Tell a lyrical tale of a mystical library that transcends time and space. Explore the endless shelves, the ancient manuscripts, and the stories that come to life within its walls.
    

As always, if you know of an event that's not listed here, feel free to share it (with a link) in the comments. Feedback on events you've attended or plan to attend is welcome.
*Free (or no admission/cover)
--Recurring Event
Noteworthy: Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks begin playing their respective Western Conference Finals this week. Some dates and times are still TBA.
This weekend is Memorial Dayweekend with the holiday being observed next Monday (May 27).. Saturday, May 26 is Opening Day for public pools at The Cove at Crawford Park, The Cove at Fretz Park, The Cove at Samuell Grand, and Bachman Community Aquatic Center.
Dallas Pride week is next week, and pre-celebration events begin this weekend.
Weekend & Multi-Day Events
May 21-26 Frisco Roughriders vs. Midland Rockhounds at Riders Field, Frisco
May 25-26 Pegasus Film Festival at LOOK Dine-in Cinemas Dallas
May 25-26 Mad Max (1980) at the Texas Theatre
May 25-26 TwoGether Land at Fair Park
May 25-26 Ubbi Dubbi Festival at Panther Island, Fort Worth
Through May 27 Scarborough Renaissance Festival, Waxahachie
May 23-25 EVERGREEN [to grow] at Wyly Theatre
Through May 25 Echo Theatre: Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper at the Bath House Cultural Center
Through Jun 9 Hamilton at Winspear Opera House
May 17-June 1 Teatro Dallas: Cloud Tectonics at the Latino Cultural Center
*May 11- May 24 Women in Art – A Joyful Journey Exhibition at Art on Main
*Through June 28 Central Library Staff Art Exhibit at Dallas Public Library Central Branch
Monday, May 20
Ghosts: Do You Believe at Texas Theatre
Meatless Meals: Inspired by India at Central Market Cooking School Lovers Lane
*Book Signing/Discussion - Kimberly King Parsons: We Were the Universe at Interabang Books
*Mad Monday Karaoke at Three Links Dallas
*Gabby & The Birds at The Free Man
*--The Love Mic - Open Mic at Sundown at Granada
Mixer Mondays at Bowlounge
*Motown on Monday at Elm and Good
Kizomba Semba class & prática at Dallas Dance Studio
*Hall of Fame Mondays at Palms
Classics in Black and White: The Third Man at Angelika Dallas
Linny Nance Hour of Power (Soul, R&B) at The Balcony Club
Tuesday, May 21
Mahjong at The Crescent Club
*Transcend Yoga on the Museum Green at Fair Park
Sketch to Success: Watercolor Session at Ad Ex Dallas
Dallas Skyline Rooftop Paint Party at Canvas Hotel
*--Spanish Learners Conversation Table at Renner Frankford Branch Library
*Book Signing/Discussion - Kerry Nichols, Puppy Brain at Interabang Books
Lady London at House of Blues
*Swiftie Theme Trivia at Vector Brewing
*Ralyn Gayle at Truck Yard Dallas
*Lakefront Live: Kevin Arellano at the Bath House Cultural Center
Songwriter Social W/Justin Pickard (Open Mic Night) at Adair’s Saloon
Seth Cowles and Friends at Improv Addison
Wednesday, May 22
NBA Western Conference Finals - Dallas Mavericks vs. TBD at American Airlines Center
Arts and Letters Live: Nicholas Kristof at the Dallas Museum of Art
*Dallas Symphony Orchestra and The Concert Truck Performance at NorthPark Center
*Salsa Dance Social at Sammons Park
*Learn to Play American Mah Jongg at Preston Royal Branch Library
*Preston Royal Discussion Book Club at Preston Royal Branch Library
*Love Songs Duh Choir Concert at Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School
Avi Kaplan: Feel Alright Tour with special guest Michael Alvarado at The Kessler
The Heartbreak Kid (1972) at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lake Highlands
*Wednesday Patio Sessions: Lacey Ingram at The Sound at Cypress Waters
*Half Price Games Night at Dave & Buster’s
Women’s Climb Night at Movement Climbing at The Hill
*Andrew Frye, Solo Performance at The Kitchen Cafe
De Colores Presents: American Fiction at Studio C, Garland
*Watch Party Wednesdays: High School Musical at Grandscape, The Colony
Run Club at Armor Brewing Co., Allen
Thursday, May 23
NHL Western Conference Finals - Dallas Stars vs. TBD at American Airlines Center
ATB "Don't Stop" US Tour at Stereo Live Dallas
Ahadadream at It'll Do Club
Speed Dating Putt Putt and Mixer at Another Round
Sweat & Glow with Divi and Live Tinted at Place at Tyler
Thursdays on Tap at the Perot Museum
*--PNC Patio Sessions - Aurora Bleu at Sammons Park
*--K. Cooks & Friends at Chocolate Secrets
*Spanish Cinema Now+: Viaje a alguna parte at the Meadows Museum
* Uptown Dallas Inc. Annual Meeting at Violet Crown Theater
*--Chess for Adults at Vickery Park Branch Library
*--Knitting Group at Timberglen Branch Library
*Know Your City Series: Office of Arts and Culture at J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
*Japanese Tea Ceremony Demonstration at the Oak Lawn Branch Library
Derek Spence, A Tribute to George Strait at the Dallas Arboretum
Raised Right Men at The Rustic
*325 Comedy Show at Hyena’s Dallas
Friday, May 24
NBA Western Conference Finals - Dallas Mavericks vs. TBD at American Airlines Center
Eurodance - Dallas Pride Kickoff at Thrive
*A Journey through Psychological Sci-Fi at The Wild Detectives
TEKNOSTASIS in the Limbo Room at Ruins
BBQ Class at the Sheraton Dallas
Camp Saucer 5th Anniversary, Karaoke Kickoff at The Flying Saucer Cypress Waters
KXT 91.7 Presents: Warpaint with Sego at the Granada Theater
Dan Deacon with Future Nest at Club Dada
Brent Buemi + Mike Willey Jazz & Blues Duo at Opening Bell Coffee
*The Clinton Years at Lee Harvey’s
Chris Isaak at House of Blues
Dan Deacon at Club Dada
*Rachel Teague at The Rustic
**ctrl + alt + defeat* Gaming Night at Round Two
Kendrick Vs Drake: The Main Event at RBC Dallas
The Emo Night Tour at Trees
Taking Back Sunday with special guest Citizen at South Side Ballroom
*Lakeside Live Music: Faron Gilbert at The Sound at Cypress Waters
*RCN Jazz Band at Cityline, Richardson
*Disco Queen at Grandscape, The Colony
The Spazmatics at Lava Cantina, The Colony
*Gary Hobbs with Sabor Puro at The Levitt, Arlington
Saturday, May 25
NHL Western Conference Finals - Dallas Stars vs. TBD at American Airlines Center
FC Dallas vs. Salt Lake at Toyota Stadium, Frisco
Memorial Day Weekend Yacht Party/MImosa Walk at Elm & Good
*Saturday Sounds: Ceci Ceci at the Leonhardt Lagoon at Fair Park
*Forest Green Tabletop Brigade at Forest Green Branch Library
*Peaceful Paper Crafts at Grauwyler Park Branch Library
*Local Coffee Shop Talk: Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters at Hampton-Illinois Branch Library
*The Blank Collective Art Exhibition at The DEC Network
*Movie - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy at Dallas West Branch Library
*Movie Night: Big Hero 6 at Klyde Warren Park
Discover Downtown Dallas Movie Series: Crazy Rich Asians at Harwood Park
Make & Take: Czech Kolaches at Central Market Cooking School, Lovers Lane
Create-Your-Own Sangria at Berkshire Farms Winery
Dallas Pride Rooftop Pool Party at Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown
Sip and Stroll: Hotel Wine Tour at Omni Dallas
Goat Yoga Outside at Lakewood Brewing Company
Scarfias at Reveler’s Hall
Sunday, May 26
NBA Western Conference Finals - TBD vs. Dallas Mavericks
Burger Fight at Dallas Youth Sports
Cinema Con Nosotros Presents El Mariachi at the Texas Theatre
Nora En Pure Day Show at It'll Do
Rescue Puppy Yoga at Celestial Beerworks The Satellite
Drawing from the Masters at the Meadows Museum
Los Yonics at Tacos Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant
Make & Take: American Cobbler, Crisp & Handpies at Central Market Cooking School Lovers Ln
*Happily Ever Sip & Shop Local Vendor Market at Community Beer Co.
*Summer in Pegasus Plaza at Pegasus Plaza
Dallas Jazz Orchestra at Poor David’s Pub
Cybernetic Summer: A Memorial Day Weekend Party at The Double Wide
Brunch Movie: Charade (1963) at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Richardson

Choosing the best gift for your girlfriend or wife on your anniversary involves considering her tastes, interests, and the significance of your relationship. Here are some thoughtful and personalized ideas to inspire you:

1. Personalized Jewelry

• Why? Jewelry is a classic gift, and personalizing it adds a sentimental touch.
• Examples: Custom-made necklace with her initials or your anniversary date, a bracelet with a meaningful charm, or a ring with an engraved message.

2. A Romantic Getaway

• Why? Quality time together in a beautiful setting can create lasting memories.
• Examples: A weekend at a cozy cabin, a beach resort, or a city you both love. Make sure to plan activities she enjoys.

3. Customized Photo Book or Frame

• Why? It's a heartfelt way to celebrate your journey together.
• Examples: A professionally bound photo book with pictures from your time together or a digital photo frame loaded with your favorite moments.

4. Experience-Based Gifts

• Why? Experiences can be more memorable than material items.
• Examples: Cooking classes, wine tasting, a hot air balloon ride, concert tickets, or a couple’s spa day.

5. Handwritten Love Letters

• Why? A deeply personal and timeless gesture.
• Examples: A beautifully written letter or a series of notes expressing your love and appreciation. Consider placing them in a decorative box or jar for her to open throughout the year.

6. Tech Gadgets

• Why? Practical and often appreciated, especially if she enjoys technology.
• Examples: A smartwatch, a high-quality pair of headphones, or a tablet. Ensure it’s something she’s mentioned wanting.

7. Fashion and Accessories

• Why? A stylish gift she can wear and think of you.
• Examples: A designer handbag, a silk scarf, or a pair of elegant shoes. Choose items that match her style and preferences.

8. Books or Subscription Services

• Why? Perfect for a girlfriend or wife who loves to read or explore new hobbies.
• Examples: A collection of her favorite author’s works, a book subscription service, or a subscription to a monthly box of items related to her interests (e.g., beauty products, gourmet snacks).

9. Art or Home Decor

• Why? Something beautiful for her personal space can be cherished for years.
• Examples: A painting or print by her favorite artist, a custom illustration of a special place, or a piece of unique home decor.

10. DIY Gifts

• Why? Handmade gifts show effort and personal investment.
• Examples: A scrapbook, a knitted item, or a piece of furniture you made yourself. These are especially meaningful because of the time and love you put into creating them.

Tips for Choosing the Best Gift:

• Listen for Clues: Pay attention to hints she may drop about things she likes or wants.
• Consider Her Hobbies: Gifts related to her interests show that you value what she enjoys.
• Make it Personal: The more personal the gift, the more special it will be. Even a simple gift can be extraordinary if it has a personal touch.
• Plan Ahead: Give yourself enough time to choose and prepare the perfect gift. Last-minute purchases can often feel rushed or thoughtless.

Ultimately, the best gift is one that comes from the heart and shows your appreciation and love for her.

The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life

Okay I have been playing for the last few weeks since the NG update came out and surprisingly at first the game was running smooth with mods. Ever since F4SE and related mods have been updating I have literally had the game crash on me every 5 to 10 minutes. I have scoured the internet and tried every fix I could find to no avail. Buffout 4 hasnt been updated for NG yet so I am not getting crash reports.
Here's my PC Specs:
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X at 5.6Ghz
64GB Ram at 3600Mhz
Nvidia RTX 4080
Samsung 970 Evo M.2 SSD
I shouldn't have hardware issues with this game.
​
Here is my load order straight from LOOT, if I am missing a compatibility issue somewhere please let me know. I have spent 2 days making sure these are working with the NG Update. Thank you!
0 0 Fallout4.esm
1 1 DLCRobot.esm
2 2 DLCworkshop01.esm
3 3 DLCCoast.esm
4 4 DLCworkshop02.esm
5 5 DLCworkshop03.esm
6 6 DLCNukaWorld.esm
7 7 DLCUltraHighResolution.esm
254 FE 0 ccbgsfo4018-gaussrifleprototype.esl
254 FE 1 ccbgsfo4019-chinesestealtharmor.esl
254 FE 2 ccBGSFO4044-HellfirePowerArmor.esl
254 FE 3 ccfsvfo4001-modularmilitarybackpack.esl
254 FE 4 ccfsvfo4002-midcenturymodern.esl
254 FE 5 cceejfo4001-decorationpack.esl
254 FE 6 ccgcafo4003-factionws03bos.esl
254 FE 7 ccgcafo4011-factionws11vt.esl
254 FE 8 ccgcafo4013-factionas02bos.esl
254 FE 9 ccgcafo4022-factionas11vt.esl
254 FE a ccawnfo4001-brandedattire.esl
8 8 ccswkfo4001-astronautpowerarmor.esm
254 FE b ccbgsfo4055-dghusk.esl
254 FE c ccfrsfo4002-antimaterielrifle.esl
254 FE d ccbgsfo4076-pipmystery.esl
254 FE e ccgrcfo4002-pipgreenvim.esl
254 FE f ccsbjfo4001-solarflare.esl
9 9 cczsef04001-bhouse.esm
254 FE 10 ccqdrfo4001_powerarmorai.esl
254 FE 11 ccBGSFO4115-X02.esl
254 FE 12 ccrzrfo4002-disintegrate.esl
254 FE 13 ccBGSFO4116-HeavyFlamer.esl
254 FE 14 ccBGSFO4110-WS_Enclave.esl
254 FE 15 ccBGSFO4096-AS_Enclave.esl
10 a cczsefo4002-smanor.esm
254 FE 16 ccacxfo4001-vsuit.esl
254 FE 17 ccFSVFO4007-Halloween.esl
254 FE 18 ccsbjfo4002_manwellrifle.esl
11 b cctosfo4002_neonflats.esm
254 FE 19 ccbgsfo4117-capmerc.esl
254 FE 1a ccBGSFO4046-TesCan.esl
254 FE 1b ccSBJFO4003-Grenade.esl
254 FE 1c ccOTMFO4001-Remnants.esl
12 c Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch.esp
13 d ArmorKeywords.esm
14 e HUDFramework.esm
15 f WorkshopFramework.esm
254 FE 1d BakaFramework.esm
254 FE 1e PPF.esm
254 FE 1f Community Fixes Merged.esp
254 FE 20 TMR_GlitchfinderAIO.esm
16 10 SS2.esm
17 11 SS2_XPAC_Chapter2.esm
18 12 SS2_XPAC_Chapter3.esm
19 13 DiamondCity-OverridePatch.esp
20 14 AmericaRising2.esm
254 FE 21 REFramework.esm
21 15 SettlementKeywords.esm
22 16 YouAndWhatArmy2.esm
254 FE 22 RunningWithHandsAnim.esl
23 17 Homemaker.esm
254 FE 23 SS2WorkshopHUDOverride.esl
24 18 Robot Home Defence.esm
25 19 Darlene.esm
254 FE 24 StandaloneWorkbenches.esl
254 FE 25 Rebuild_SharedResources.esm
254 FE 26 DiamondCityAmbience.esl
254 FE 27 IDEKsLogisticsStation2.esl
26 1a CALIBER-COMPLEX.esm
254 FE 28 Leah's Daisy Chains.esl
254 FE 29 PPF-HeavyFlamer-CR.esm
254 FE 2a PPF-NeonFlats-CR.esm
27 1b Settlement Electricity Overhaul.esm
254 FE 2b WG City Plans Pack ESL.esl
254 FE 2c sanctuaryWG.esl
254 FE 2d Fortress Sanctuary - Copy.esl
254 FE 2e Bunker Hill Mega City.esl
254 FE 2f SetMaxSettlers.esl
254 FE 30 SimpleProstitutes.esl
254 FE 31 Vee_SS2_Chapter2_SettlersEssentialPatch.esl
254 FE 32 Vee_SS2_SettlersEssentialPatch.esl
254 FE 33 MM-Castle-HQ-By-Tarkkh-V2.6.esl
254 FE 34 Castle Minutemen HQ level 2 layout.esl
254 FE 35 Castle Minutemen HQ level 3 layout.esl
254 FE 36 VUVC-CityPlan.esl
254 FE 37 GavMan_Vault88_CityPlan.esl
254 FE 38 GavMan_Vault88_Layouts.esl
254 FE 39 CanarySaveFileMonitor.esl
254 FE 3a HiPolyFacesCompanionPlugin.esl
254 FE 3b Dank_ArmorPaintExtended.esl
28 1c UneducatedReload.esm
29 1d Games.esm
30 1e BarstoolGames.esm
254 FE 3c EssentialNPCsExpanded.esl
31 1f OVT.esp
254 FE 3d Enhanced Vanilla Armor and Clothing.esp
254 FE 3e Fixed Gobo Effects.esp
254 FE 3f DiamondCityBillboards.esp
254 FE 40 FO4ParticlePatch.esp
32 20 ImmersiveGenericDialogues.esp
33 21 Armorsmith Extended.esp
34 22 Rebuild_Settlements.esp
35 23 CombinedArmsNV.esp
36 24 CombinedArmsEXPack.esp
254 FE 41 FallUI_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
37 25 Armament.esp
254 FE 42 CombinedArmsIntegrationProject - Armament.esp
38 26 ImmersiveCleaning.esp
39 27 3DNPC_FO4.esp
254 FE 43 3DNPC_FO4-Patch.esp
40 28 CleanMySettlement.esp
41 29 BTInteriors_Project.esp
254 FE 44 RebuildBTI Necessary Changes.esp
42 2a SimHomestead2.esp
254 FE 45 OCsUniversityPoint.esp
43 2b Unique NPCs.esp
254 FE 46 DiverseSettlers.esp
254 FE 47 DIverseSettlersImmersionQoL.esp
44 2c DCGuard_Overhaul.esp
45 2d WeightlessMods.esp
46 2e WeaponModFixes-GOTY.esp
47 2f AWKCR - Mod Power Armor Engine Glitch Fix.esp
254 FE 48 MiscAnimTweaks.esp
48 30 RAW INPUT.esp
49 31 JumpFallPoseFix.esp
50 32 GrenadeCombatFixes.esp
254 FE 49 Flutter Flicker Fixer For Foliage.esp
254 FE 4a WhoIsTheGeneral.esp
254 FE 4b Keep Radiants In Commonwealth.esp
51 33 AttachPack.esp
254 FE 4c Attach Pack Modcol.esp
254 FE 4d OCsAtomCatsGarage.esp
52 34 DEEPriverV1.6.esp
53 35 BTInt_Optimization.esp
254 FE 4e LOST Sim Settlements 2 Patch.esp
54 36 SS2Extended.esp
254 FE 4f OCsSunkenGarage.esp
254 FE 50 Rebuild_Covenant.esp
254 FE 51 3DNPC-eXoPatch.esp
254 FE 52 LOST Bleachers 2 Patch.esp
55 37 the library.esp
254 FE 53 Rebuild_Settlements_Previs.esp
254 FE 54 OCsFiddlersGreen.esp
254 FE 55 Dank_ArmorOverrides.esp
56 38 SuperMutantRedux.esp
254 FE 56 LOST Super Mutant Redux Patch.esp
57 39 WeightlessAid_BetterItemSorting.esp
58 3a Crafting Mastery.esp
59 3b DCVendorOverhaulAIO.esp
60 3c The House.esp
254 FE 57 The House - eXoPatch.esp
61 3d OutcastsAndRemnants.esp
254 FE 58 the library - eXoPatch.esp
62 3e AnimatedCandles.esp
63 3f Depravity.esp
64 40 Vault4.esp
65 41 Stm_DiamondCityExpansion.esp
254 FE 59 DiamondCityExpansion-eXoPatch.esp
254 FE 5a Vault4-eXoPatch.esp
66 42 DiamondNewVendors.esp
67 43 TrainBar.esp
68 44 Sanctuary Pre-Walled.esp
69 45 AA FusionCityRising.esp
70 46 3DNPC_FO4_DLC.esp
254 FE 5b fakeInt.esp
254 FE 5c OCsDartmouthSkyscraper.esp
71 47 BTInt_Menus.esp
72 48 AmazingFollowerTweaks.esp
73 49 DCVendorClutter.esp
VCM_Sanctuary_Navmesh_Update_W_Roof.esp
74 4a f4killingthebugs2.esp
254 FE 5d Dank_ArmorOverrides_DLCCoast.esp
75 4b KOTOR.esp
254 FE 5e CombinedArms_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
76 4c CheatTerminal.esp
77 4d InstituteSettlements2.esp
78 4e TU3SD4Y'S Commonwealth Responders.esp
254 FE 5f 3DNPC_FO4[Previsibines].esp
79 4f BetterSettlers.esp
254 FE 60 BG_UnderArmor_Fix.esp
80 50 W.A.T.Minutemen.esp
81 51 MilitarizedMinutemen.esp
82 52 Settlement_Markers.esp
83 53 MinutemenPropaganda.esp
254 FE 61 SS2_RobotMod.esp
84 54 Flashy_CrimeAndPunishment.esp
85 55 3DNPC_FO4Settler.esp
86 56 SS2_FDK_TinyLiving.esp
87 57 AA 50 Ways To Die.esp
88 58 Crafting Mastery - Armor Keywords Patch.esp
254 FE 62 CutContentNPCsAiO.esp
254 FE 63 Nova Uniques Combined Arms.esp
254 FE 64 Dank_ECO.esp
254 FE 65 Diamond City Supplements.esp
254 FE 66 GoodneighborView.esp
89 59 0_Vault120.esp
254 FE 67 Dank_WOP-CombinedArms.esp
90 5a ProjectValkyrie.esp
91 5b Eli_Armour_Compendium.esp
92 5c BosskCompanion.esp
254 FE 68 FiddlersGreenTftCPatch.esp
93 5d CloneTrooperCompanion_1.esp
254 FE 69 PRP-SS2-Fixes-Ch2.esp
94 5e CloneArmoryWeapons2.0.esp
95 5f SS2-Jampads2.esp
96 60 WattzLaserGun.esp
254 FE 6a Rebuild_Covenant_Previs.esp
97 61 llamaCompanionHeatherv2.esp
254 FE 6b FiddlersGreenTarberrySwap.esp
98 62 SS2WastelandVenturers.esp
99 63 [SS2 Addon] SimSettlements SuperStructures.esp
254 FE 6c TerrainUndersides.esp
100 64 FO4 NPCs Travel.esp
101 65 Cho1_SS2_Encv_Plots.esp
254 FE 6d ss2c23dnpcpatch.esp
102 66 RU556.esp
254 FE 6e OCsDartmouthSkyscraperExperimental.esp
103 67 RosieAtSomervilleAiO.esp
254 FE 6f PRP-SS2-Fixes-Ch1.esp
104 68 SigMCX.esp
254 FE 70 PuddleReflectionFix.esp
105 69 Less Annoying Berry Mentats.esp
254 FE 71 Dogmeat Follow Behind.esp
106 6a EasyHacking.esp
107 6b OutlineWorkshopShader.esp
254 FE 72 M8rDisablePipboyEffects.esp
108 6c LooksMenu.esp
109 6d Complex Vendors.esp
110 6e BlockingOverhaul.esp
254 FE 73 Chemfluence AI Combat Dynamics.esp
111 6f DLC Timing.esp
254 FE 74 DLC Timing - UFO4P Patch.esp
254 FE 75 WTG - KRIC Patch.esp
112 70 dcc-molotov-nerf.esp
254 FE 76 LegendariesTheyCanUse.esp
254 FE 77 No Sneaking in Power Armor.esp
113 71 Faster Terminal Displays (20x).esp
114 72 WeightlessJunk.esp
254 FE 78 LOST WATM Patch.esp
115 73 WeightlessSpecialAmmo.esp
116 74 CarryWeight99999.esp
254 FE 79 Legendary Mutation Messages Fix.esp
254 FE 7a Gloomy Glass.esp
254 FE 7b VividFallout - AiO - BestChoice.esp
254 FE 7c Targeted Textures.esp
254 FE 7d WAVE.esp
117 75 ScopeOverlayDOF.esp
118 76 RemoveBlur.esp
119 77 dD-Enhanced Blood Basic.esp
254 FE 7e Robot_Textures_Redone.esp
120 78 ValiusHDTextures2K.esp
121 79 Synth Overhaul.esp
122 7a Synth Overhaul - No level requirements Patch.esp
123 7b Synth Overhaul - Black Patch.esp
124 7c TrueGrass.esp
125 7d SuperMutantRedux VIS Patch.esp
126 7e SettlementMenuManager.esp
127 7f Homemaker - Streetlights Use Passive Power.esp
128 80 Homemaker - Unlocked Institute Objects.esp
254 FE 7f SS2_DLCSettlerPatch.esp
254 FE 80 SS2Extended_OutfitInjectionPatch.esp
129 81 SS2_CityPlanPack_RiseOfTheCommonwealth.esp
130 82 Quieter Settlements - Contraptions.esp
131 83 Quieter Settlements - Vanilla.esp
132 84 Quieter Settlements - Wasteland Workshop.esp
133 85 Robot Home Defence - Settlement Keywords.esp
134 86 nimroutroguesyntharmorstandalone.esp
135 87 SGOWastelandExpansion.esp
136 88 Brick_By_Brick_Master.esp
137 89 AtomicRadio.esp
138 8a FunctionalDisplays-Collectibles.esp
139 8b BetterCompanions.esp
140 8c DarleneDLC.esp
254 FE 81 LiveLove - Heather_Valkyrie.esp
141 8d ImmersiveVendors.esp
142 8e KSHairdos.esp
143 8f LooksMenu Customization Compendium.esp
144 90 AzarPonytailHairstyles.esp
145 91 Unique NPCs FarHarbor.esp
146 92 WorkshopTurretsDontHarmPlayerPerk.esp
254 FE 82 DiverseSettlersFarHarbor.esp
147 93 BetterSettlersMostlyFemale.esp
148 94 BetterSettlersCCAPack2.0.esp
149 95 Unique NPCs_SpecialSettlers_All.esp
150 96 HiPolyFaces.esp
151 97 CBBE.esp
152 98 Extended weapon mods.esp
153 99 CROSS_Cybernetics.esp
254 FE 83 LOST Cybernetics Patch.esp
154 9a CROSS_Cybernetics_NoRobotFootStepSounds.esp
155 9b LightsaberMod.esp
254 FE 84 CROSS_CourserStrigidae.esp
156 9c Craftable Armor Size - Fix Material Requirements.esp
157 9d Craftable Armor Size.esp
158 9e ChineseStealthSuit.esp
159 9f Tactical Flashlights.esp
160 a0 Tactical Flashlights - Settings.esp
254 FE 85 LOST Unique NPCs Patch.esp
161 a1 Unique_NPCs_SuperMutantRedux.esp
162 a2 Tactical Flashlights Armorsmith Patch.esp
163 a3 Eli_ArmourCollection.esp
164 a4 RichMerchants.esp
165 a5 LooksMirror.esp
166 a6 Crafting Mastery - CC Chinese Stealth Armor Patch.esp
254 FE 86 Dank_ArmorOverrides_DLCNukaWorld.esp
167 a7 Crafting Mastery - AE Patch.esp
254 FE 87 SS2_XDI Patch.esp
254 FE 88 Attach Pack Mod Description Fixes.esp
254 FE 89 SprintOutOfCombat.esp
168 a8 DynamicOutfitting_CBBE.esp
169 a9 The Eyes Of Beauty.esp
254 FE 8a aBitPrettierNWRaiders.esp
170 aa [LOUDER] PowerArmorVoiceChanger.esp
254 FE 8b DiverseMinutemen.esp
254 FE 8c WeAreTheDiverseMinutemen.esp
254 FE 8d DiverseBoS.esp
254 FE 8e DiverseDCSecurity.esp
254 FE 8f Face Fixes - All in One.esp
254 FE 90 Dank_ECO-INNR.esp
254 FE 91 Dank_ECO_DLCCoast.esp
254 FE 92 Dank_ECO_DLCNukaWorld.esp
254 FE 93 Dank_ECO_DLCRobot.esp
254 FE 94 Eli_Armour_Compendium_LIF.esp
254 FE 95 Combat AI Empowered - Tweaked Accuracy.esp
FakeIntNacXTrueStormDApatch.esp
171 ab VATSFreezeFixNextGen.esp
172 ac Vault88AreaExtension.esp
173 ad Wu9DoubleGeneratorPower.esp
254 FE 96 SS2_Addon_Favelabulous.esp
174 ae SS2_Addon_R2R.esp
175 af SS2_ruined_simsettlement_addonpack.esp
176 b0 SS2_STRA_Buildings_and_Skins.esp
177 b1 SS2_STRA_Support_Buildings.esp
178 b2 SS2ConveyorStorage.esp
179 b3 PiperOverhaul2F1E.esp
254 FE 97 SS2_MagnussonTerminalFix.esp
180 b4 BlasTech E-11.esp
254 FE 98 Lightsaber_NoLL.esp
181 b5 CW Stormtrooper.esp
182 b6 BosskBountyHunter.esp
254 FE 99 OCsAtomCatsGarageGenericAtomCats.esp
183 b7 ProjectSynth.esp
184 b8 AE Animated Jetpacks.esp
185 b9 FO4LaserBolts.esp
186 ba CloneArmory4.0.esp
187 bb CloneTrooperCompanionArmoryPatch.esp
188 bc Thematic and Practical.esp
189 bd Thematic and Practical - DLC.esp
190 be JunkTownTwo.esp
191 bf GarageHomesAndSensibleSecurity.esp
192 c0 BMW_ALA.esp
193 c1 SKKGlobalStashScrapping.esp
254 FE 9a CompanionStatus-Settings.esp
194 c2 CompanionStatus.esp
195 c3 DCE_female_body_replacer.esp
254 FE 9b DCENS.esp
254 FE 9c CBBEHR.esp
254 FE 9d CBBEHR_3DNPC.esp
254 FE 9e CBBEHR_SS2.esp
254 FE 9f CBBEHR_SS2Ch2.esp
254 FE a0 SS2-3DNPC-Settlers.esp
196 c4 SKKCompanionWeaponLL.esp
197 c5 SS2-PraRandomAddon.esp
198 c6 X12Plasmacaster.esp
254 FE a1 SigMCX_LvlListPatch.esp
254 FE a2 SigMCX_MaterialPack.esp
254 FE a3 OCsSunkenGarageGhoulSettlers.esp
254 FE a4 No More Fake Puddles - Nuka World 1-0.esp
254 FE a5 IDEKsLogisticsStation2_SS2_Patch.esp
199 c7 SS-ILS2 patch.esp
200 c8 DX_Predator.esp
254 FE a6 LOST 50 Ways to Die Patch.esp
254 FE a7 LOST Beantown Interiors Patch.esp
254 FE a8 LOST Better Companions Patch.esp
254 FE a9 LOST Bleachers Patch.esp
254 FE aa LOST Cheat Terminal Patch.esp
254 FE ab LOST Chinese Sealth Patch.esp
254 FE ac LOST Companion Status Patch.esp
254 FE ad LOST Complex Vendors Patch.esp
254 FE ae LOST Courser Strigidae Patch.esp
254 FE af LOST Darlene Patch.esp
254 FE b0 LOST Depravity Patch.esp
254 FE b1 LOST Diamond City Expansion Patch.esp
254 FE b2 Eli_Armour_Compendium_Tweaks_ECO.esp
254 FE b3 LOST Eli Compendium Patch.esp
254 FE b4 LOST Fourville Patch.esp
254 FE b5 LOST Fusion City Rising Patch.esp
254 FE b6 LOST Global Stash Patch.esp
254 FE b7 LOST Heather Patch.esp
254 FE b8 LOST Homemaker Patch.esp
254 FE b9 LOST Militarized BLUE Patch.esp
254 FE ba LOST NPC Travel Patch.esp
254 FE bb LOST Outcasts and Remnants Patch.esp
254 FE bc LOST Project Valkyrie Patch.esp
254 FE bd LOST RU556 Patch.esp
254 FE be LOST Settlement Menu Manager Patch.esp
254 FE bf LOST Settlers of the Commonwealth Patch.esp
254 FE c0 LOST SS2 Chapter 2 Patch.esp
254 FE c1 LOST SS2 Extended Patch.esp
254 FE c2 LOST Synth Overhaul Patch.esp
254 FE c3 LOST Tactical Flashlights Patch.esp
254 FE c4 LOST Tales Commonwealth Patch.esp
LOST Visible Companion Affinity Patch.esp
254 FE c5 LOST Wattz Laser Patch.esp
254 FE c6 LOST Workshop Framework Patch.esp
254 FE c7 LOST CC Anti-Materiel Rifle Patch.esp
254 FE c8 LOST CC Capital Wasteland Patch.esp
254 FE c9 LOST CC Capt Cosmos Patch.esp
254 FE ca LOST CC Charlestown Condo Patch.esp
254 FE cb LOST CC Chinese Armor Patch.esp
254 FE cc LOST CC Gauss Prototype Patch.esp
254 FE cd LOST CC Graphic T-Shirt Pack Patch.esp
254 FE ce LOST CC Heavy Incinerator Patch.esp
254 FE cf LOST CC Hellfire Patch.esp
254 FE d0 LOST CC Home Decor Patch.esp
254 FE d1 LOST CC Manwell Rifle Patch.esp
254 FE d2 LOST CC Military Backpack Patch.esp
254 FE d3 LOST CC Modern Furniture Patch.esp
254 FE d4 LOST CC Neon Flats Patch.esp
254 FE d5 LOST CC Sentinel System Patch.esp
254 FE d6 LOST CC Shroud Manor Patch.esp
254 FE d7 LOST CC Solar Cannon Patch.esp
254 FE d8 LOST CC Tesla Cannon Patch.esp
254 FE d9 LOST CC Vault Suit Patch.esp
254 FE da LOST CC X-02 Patch.esp
254 FE db LOST CC Zetan Arsenal Patch.esp
254 FE dc CombinedArmsEX_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
254 FE dd Deliverer_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
254 FE de DLCCoast_RadiumRifle_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
FG-42 Ausf.E ParaTroop Rifle_No TR_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
254 FE df SIGMCX_CALIBER_COMPLEX_PATCH.esp
254 FE e0 Combined Arms EX_LLI.esp
254 FE e1 Combined Arms_LLI.esp
254 FE e2 Star Wars - The Lightsaber_LLI.esp
201 c9 DT_GunnerOutfitPack.esp
254 FE e3 Gunner Outfit Replacer.esp
254 FE e4 Rebuild_Workshop.esp
202 ca MyCityPlans(4).esp
203 cb Passthrough.esp
204 cc ConnectedWorkshops.esp
254 FE e5 Invisible and Longer Power Lines.esp
205 cd DEEPriver NoRads.esp
206 ce SimSettlements2_AddOnPack_ApocalypticAdditions_SirLach.esp
207 cf SS2_SIMPDDDD.esp
208 d0 ohSIM_Sim2_Settlements_Scrappers_Addon.esp
254 FE e6 SS2Addon_MS_BareEssentials.esp
254 FE e7 SS2AOP_VaultTecTools.esp
209 d1 SS2_WastelandDefense.esp
210 d2 AutoDoors.esp
254 FE e8 Rebuild_SharedResources_AutoDoors.esp
211 d3 Faction Pack Template.esp
254 FE e9 ProjectValkyrie-SS2-Patch.esp
212 d4 RandomSettlers.esp
254 FE ea RandomSettlers - LevelUp.esp
213 d5 SS2UI.esp
254 FE eb WastelandResources.esp
254 FE ec Raze My Settlement.esp
254 FE ed Armament - Caliber Complex Patch.esp
254 FE ee Armament-ECO_PatchUpdate.esp
214 d6 KSHairsFemsheppingRadbeetle.esp
215 d7 KSHairdos_oel.esp
216 d8 Lots More Facial Hair.esp
254 FE ef LKsAbbot.esp
254 FE f0 LKsAllanLee.esp
254 FE f1 LKsAnnCodman.esp
254 FE f2 LKsAnneHargraves.esp
254 FE f3 LKsArturoRodrigues.esp
254 FE f4 LKsBeckyFallon.esp
254 FE f5 LKsBlakeAbernathy.esp
254 FE f6 LKsCarla.esp
254 FE f7 LKsCathy.esp
254 FE f8 LKsClairHutchins.esp
254 FE f9 LKsConnieAbernathy.esp
254 FE fa LKsDarcyPembroke.esp
254 FE fb LKsDeacon.esp
254 FE fc LKsDeb.esp
254 FE fd LKsDesdemona.esp
254 FE fe LKsDoctorCarrington.esp
254 FE ff LKsDoctorDuff.esp
254 FE 100 LKsDoctorSun.esp
254 FE 101 LKsElliePerkins.esp
254 FE 102 LKsFahrenheit.esp
254 FE 103 LKsFather.esp
254 FE 104 LKsFredAllen.esp
254 FE 105 LKsGeneva.esp
254 FE 106 LKsGeorgeCooper.esp
254 FE 107 LKsGlory.esp
254 FE 108 LKsHarvey.esp
254 FE 109 LKsHenryCooke.esp
254 FE 10a LKsJoeSavoldi.esp
254 FE 10b LKsJohn.esp
254 FE 10c LKsJunLong.esp
254 FE 10d LKsKasumiNakano.esp
254 FE 10e LKsKay.esp
254 FE 10f LKsKellogg.esp
254 FE 110 LKsKenjiNakano.esp
254 FE 111 LKsKessler.esp
254 FE 112 LKsLucyAbernathy.esp
254 FE 113 LKsMamaMurphy.esp
254 FE 114 LKsMarcyLong.esp
254 FE 115 LKsMariner.esp
254 FE 116 LKsMarovski.esp
254 FE 117 LKsMaxson.esp
254 FE 118 LKsMayorMcDonough.esp
254 FE 119 LKsMoeCronin.esp
254 FE 11a LKsMyrna.esp
254 FE 11b LKsOldLongfellow.esp
254 FE 11c LKsPaladinDanse.esp
254 FE 11d LKsPastorClemens.esp
254 FE 11e LKsPaulPembroke.esp
254 FE 11f LKsPickman.esp
254 FE 120 LKsPolly.esp
254 FE 121 LKsPorterCage.esp
254 FE 122 LKsPrestonGarvey.esp
254 FE 123 LKsProfessorScara.esp
254 FE 124 LKsReiNakano.esp
254 FE 125 LKsRexGoodman.esp
254 FE 126 LKsRonnieShaw.esp
254 FE 127 LKsRufusRubin.esp
254 FE 128 LKsScarlett.esp
254 FE 129 LKsScribeHaylen..esp
254 FE 12a LKsSheffield.esp
254 FE 12b LKsSierraPetrovita.esp
254 FE 12c LKsSolomon.esp
254 FE 12d LKsStanSlavin.esp
254 FE 12e LKsSturges.esp
254 FE 12f LKsTinkerTom.esp
254 FE 130 LKsTonySavoldi.esp
254 FE 131 LKsTravisMiles.esp
254 FE 132 LKsTrudy.esp
254 FE 133 LKsVadimBobrov.esp
254 FE 134 LKsVaultTecRep.esp
254 FE 135 LKsWolfgang.esp
254 FE 136 LKsX6-88.esp
254 FE 137 LKsYefimBobrov.esp
254 FE 138 Dank_ArmorOverrides_DLCRobot.esp
254 FE 139 Dank_INNRoverride.esp
217 d9 TGF_TrueGrassFix.esp
218 da NPCRespawnFix.esp
254 FE 13a Dank_ECO_UneducatedReload.esp
254 FE 13b SS2_AFT.esp
254 FE 13c AFTSpouseTweaks.esp
219 db AFT_Alt_Names_Pack1.esp
254 FE 13d Community Fixes Merged - Weapon Mod Fixes Patch.esp
254 FE 13e MinutemenPropaganda SMM.esp
220 dc BarstoolGames_FH.esp
221 dd BarstoolGames_NW.esp
222 de SS2_CLB_WATMPack.esp
254 FE 13f REPatch_AmericaRising2LegacyOfTheEnclave.esp
254 FE 140 Lightweight Lighting.esp
254 FE 141 WET.esp
254 FE 142 PRP.esp
254 FE 143 3DNPC_BTI_Optimization.esp
254 FE 144 RebuildBTIPrevisPatch.esp
254 FE 145 OCsBreakHeartBanks.esp
254 FE 146 OCsProspectPark.esp
254 FE 147 OCsLakeQ.esp
254 FE 148 PRP_IC.esp
254 FE 149 OCsCochituate.esp
254 FE 14a OCsCharlesviewAmpitheater.esp
254 FE 14b PRP-SS2.esp
254 FE 14c the library_Patch.esp
254 FE 14d The House_Patch.esp
254 FE 14e 3DNPC_FO4_Patch.esp
254 FE 14f OCsV81TradeCamp.esp
254 FE 150 DiamondCity-PreVis.esp
254 FE 151 Em_Vault4_Previs.esp
254 FE 152 Em_3DNPC_FO4_Previs.esp
254 FE 153 0_Vault120_NordhagenHaven_PRP.esp
254 FE 154 DiamondNewVendors_Patch.esp
254 FE 155 OCsV81TradeCampGrassReduced.esp
254 FE 156 OCsCochituateReducedGrass.esp
254 FE 157 OCsProspectParkEBA.esp
254 FE 158 OCsBreakheartBanksSS2QuestPatch.esp
254 FE 159 CharlesviewHappyCult.esp
254 FE 15a OCsV81TradeCampEarlyUnlock.esp
254 FE 15b OCsNukaTransitCenter.esp
223 df EnhancedLightsandFX.esp
254 FE 15c EnhancedLightsandFX - Automatron.esp
254 FE 15d PRP-ELFXOPC.esp
254 FE 15e ELFX-PreVis.esp
254 FE 15f ELFX-eXoPatch.esp
254 FE 160 ELFX Crash fix.esp
254 FE 161 WorkshopFramework_ScriptOverride.esp
​

This is low stakes, but I’m not sure who else to ask…
After 12 years in one career, I (34F) recently made a very positive career change. This involved moving to a new state for the first time in my life. I love it here, but I’m feeling a little lost.
Prior to this change, I volunteered most of my time outside of work time doing volunteer work in a related field that I was passionate about and enjoyed, and I am now fortunate to do that work full-time and for a great salary. However, that meant that I haven’t had time for any other hobbies during the past 11 years. The volunteer work WAS my hobby.
Now I do have free time. My new job has great work-life balance. This is where I’m struggling a bit. (I know, what a great problem to have!) I plan to prioritize my physical health and get a membership to a fitness club with a pool, as I have always loved to swim. I am looking into attending country line dance nights at a local bar because I used to love to dance. I hope to buy a cheap bike to explore my new city and commute to work. I haven’t been able to prioritize my fitness in a long time.
The other thing I miss is the creativity in my former career that I just don’t get to use as much in my new role. As a kid all the way through college, I dabbled in all sorts of crafts- crochet, sewing, painting, scrapbooking, photography, jewelry making, embroidery, drawing, diy furniture rehab, etc. I would love to find something to focus on as a creative outlet, but I have become somewhat of a minimalist, and I don’t want to make the mistake of buying all the equipment/supplies for a hobby I won’t stick with. I’ve already bought and donated that stuff several times over and don’t want to repeat that cycle.
I don’t have any friends here yet (my husband and I have a couple of things we enjoy doing together, but creative pursuits aren’t one of them). My coworkers are nice, but I don’t know them well yet. We are happily child free.
How do I find/decide on a creative hobby without spending a small fortune in dabbling and amassing more ‘stuff’? I know I enjoy the process of making things, but then I usually don’t want to keep them because they’re not useful.
How can I use my desire for a creative hobby to help me make new friends in a new place?
My former career was the type that defined me as a person and my new one is just a job— one that I love and is much healthier all around— so I suppose I’m looking for a new piece of defining myself in the world. Any ideas?

Previous thread
This is the weekly translation status update thread. Use this thread to discuss translation news, issues, titles you're looking forward to, etc.
Note: This is simply a mirror from 4chan's weekly thread on the /jp/ board. All credit goes to the user VNTS there. I'm simply copying and pasting for discussion sake here since some people can't access 4chan.
Entries in Bold have had changes since last week
Entries in itallics denote my own changes

Fan Translations

• 12RIVEN -the Ψcliminal of integral- - 42% translated
• Aiyoku No Eustia - In progress 100% TL patch leaked, project to continue, 100% Translated/edited/TLC
• Akatsuki no Goei ~Principal-tachi no Kyuujitsu~ - 100% translated and edited, 70.11% through QA
• Akatsuki no Goei ~Tsumibukaki Shuumatsuron~ - 100% translated, 42,368 lines edited (69.69%), 4,793 (7.88%) through QA
• Axanael - "Overwhelming majority" of the text translated, including the main story, some side content remains, in need of editing
• CHAOS;HEAD Love Chu Chu! - 70.54% translated, 22.70% edited
• CHAOS;CHILD Love Chu Chu!! - 100% translated, 55.30% edited
• Chusingura 46+1 - 36843/82770 (44.51%) lines translated, Kuranosuke route partial patch released
• Dragon Knight 4 - 60% translated, playtesting also ongoing
• Fate/Stay Night - Partial patch released with a new translation for Fate/UBW/9 days of HF
• Haruka na Sora - Sora and Yahiro routes translated, Kozue 75% translated, Sora 90% edited
• Honoo no Haramase Oppai Nyuu Doukyuusei ~Oppai mo Haramase! New Class Zen'in Harama-sensation!~ - Picked up, porting to Ren'Py
• If My Heart Had Wings: Snow Presents - 100% translated, 100% edited
• Jisatsu no Tame no 101 no Houhou - 17% translated
• Junketsu Megami-Sama - 2nd Alpha patch released, Astarotte route finishing up
• Kaseki no Uta - 100% translated, 4770/15389 (31%) edited
• Ken ga Kimi - 58% translated
• Koukan no Toriko-Tachi - Prologue, common, and Cuckold Play route translated, Swinging Route 35%, Yukari POV 40%
• Kud Wafter - AA Version 23,835/31,579 (75.5%) Lines translated, 18+ Version 19,240 / 33,113 (58.1%) lines translated
• Kusarihime ~Euthanasia~ - Translation finished, fully edited
• Lover Able - 100% translated and edited, 9419/32258 lines approved (29.47%)
• Lucky Star ~Ryouou Gakuen Outousai~ - episode 1 patch released
• Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! A - Ryouken Route After - 2,647/3,494 (75.76%) lines translated
• Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! A Plus Disk - Preparing files
• Manakashi no Yuri wa Akaku Somaru - 66% translated
• Miagete Goran, Yozora no Hoshi o - 1 of 4 routes translation finished for the restoration patch, Houkiboshi Hika 2 of 4 H-scenes translated
• Miagete Goran, Yozora no Hoshi o: Interstellar Focus - 100% translated, 89.6% edited
• Nursery Rhyme - 100% translated and edited, text insertion 100% complete, testing ongoing
• Pure Pure - 100% translated, needs proofreading, partial patch released, all routes have been inserted
• Sakura no Uta - Chapter I 30% translated
• Sakura Wars 2 - Demo patch released, ADV, Battle, and "Long Day in the Theater" mode fully translated, disc 1 text inserted
• Sen no Hatou, Tsukisome no Kouki - Both original and fan disc 100% translated, in need of editing
• Shirotsume Yubiwa - 100% translated, 50% beta patch released
• Shizuku - 120/197 script files translated, 20/197 edited
• Taima Seiko Alice - 45% translated, 35% edited, 35% proofread, 1st partial patch out
• Tenshi no Inai 12-gatsu - 100% translated, Editing ongoing
• To Heart - 720/993 scripts translated, 200/993 edited
• Tokimeki Memorial 2 - Being translated
• Tokimeki Memorial Girls Side 4 - 55% translated
• Tsui no Sora Remake - 100% translated and edited, finalization progressing
• Umi kara Kuru Mono - 91/138 scripts translated
• Ushinawareta Mirai o Motomete - 23243/35416 (65.6%) lines translated
• Yosuga no Sora - Translation finished, editing and TLC ongoing, Total: TL 100% TLC 71% ED 55%, Common/Kazuha/Motoka/Sora routes fully edited

Official work

MangaGamer

• The Pillagers of Raillore - Out of Beta
• Ciconia - Phase 1 Released
• Hadaka Shitsuji fandisc - Picked up
• Rance 03 - 79% translated, 41% edited
• Rance X - 94% translated, 5% edited
• Luckydog1 - 100% translated and edited
• Funbag Fantasy 4 - 84% translated, 80% edited
• Eve of the 12th Month - 100% translated and 88% edited
• DEAD DAYS - 100% translated and edited
• Beat Valkyrie Ixseal - 88% translated and 81% edited
• Welcome to a Sexy, Open World - 98% translated and 90% edited

JAST

• Sisters: Last Day of Summer - June 3rd release
• Sumaga- Slow progress ongoing
• Katahane - Progress being made again
• Django - Not actively making progress
• Tokyo Hero Project - Translation finished, dealing with bugs
• Machine Child - Still being developed
• Yomegami: My Sweet Goddess - 100% translated
• Yamizome Liberator - Picked up
• Mojika: Truth Rears Its Ugly Head - Picked up
• Djibril - 100% translated, in editing
• Masquerade: Hell Academy - Through 1st QA pass, in 2nd QA pass

Sekai/Denpa

• NEKO-NIN exHeart SPIN - In QA Testing, 2024 release
• Happy Saint Sheol - 100% edited, 40% QA, Demo released
• Harumade Kururu - Waiting on build
• Rewrite+ Harvest Festa - 100% translated, 40% edited, Steam page up, 2024 release
• Subete no Koi ni, Hanabata o. - 50% translated
• Sumire - Picked up
• Sanarara R - 100% translated and edited, waiting on build
• Glass - Picked up
• New Glass - Picked up
• Karakara 3 - 100% translated and edited, 70% engine work
• Yume to Iro de Dekiteiru - 100% translated, 35% edited
• Zutto Mae Kara Joshi Deshita - 100% translated, in editing
• A Maiden's Serenade - In Editing
• Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi 10% translated
• Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi AA - Announced
• Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka - 50% translated
• Hamidashi Creative - Announced
• Inupara - In Development
• Nekopara After La Vraie Familie - In Development
• Raspberry Cube - Announced
• Wagamama High Spec OC - In Translation

Nekonyan

• Angel Chaos RE-BOOT!- Delayed after Steam rejection
• Dracu Riot - Waiting on Build, Release date announcement on hold until after Angel Chaos
• Melty Moment - 80% translated
• Fureraba Complete edition - Vita exclusive content to be added to Fureraba a couple months after the fandisc release
• Floral Flowlove - 100% translated, 70% edited, enging port ongoing
• Kakenuke Seishun Sparking - 80% translated, 70% edited, QA started
• Love, Elections, & Chocolate - 100% translated and edited, Engine port nearly finished, entering QA shortly
• Love Love Love, Burning in my Heart! - 100% translated and 74% edited
• Ready or Not: The Deadline is Coming! - 100% translated, 99% edited, waiting on build
• Mysteries of the Heart: The Psychic Detective Case Files - 100% translated and edited, engine work in progress
• Secret Project 2 - 100% translated and edited, queued for Unity port
• Secret Project 3 - 100% translated and edited, 50% though QA

PQube

• SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky - Announced

VisualArts

• planetarian ~Snow Globe~ - June 27th release
• Summer Pockets Reflection Blue - 2024 release
• Kanon - Announced

Dualtail

• Venus Blood Ragnarok - Kickstarter starting May 22nd

Frontwing

• Lilja and Natsuka: Painting Lies - July 25th release
• Revue Starlight El Dorado - August 8th release
• Everlasting Flowers - Where there is a will, there is a way - August 29th release date
• Sharin no Kuni - Working to resolve remaining issues

Aksys

• Radiant Tale -Fanfare- - June 27th release
• Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the Witch - Summer release
• Virche Evermore -EpiC: Lycoris- - Fall release
• Despera Drops - 2025 release

Age titles

• Kiminozo - Aiming for a Summer 2024 release

Fakku

• Two Beasts Or Not To Beast!! - 2.0 version, editing in progress
• Forbidden Ward - In Pre-Production

Saikey Studios (mix of official/unofficial)

• The Reason For Your Smile - Steam page up, Happy and NTR routes translated
• Toaru Hahaoya no Ayamachi ~Yukari Hen~ - 50% translated

HyoukanOpera

• Knight Case Files - Trial released, upcoming release

MAGES. GAME

• Corpse Party II - Darkness Distortion - 2024 release

Voltage Inc.

• Project Code Kaleido Tower - 2024 release
• Project Code Neon Mafia - 2024 release
• Project Code Vampire Hunter - 2025 release

B-cluster

• Re;quartz Raid - 2024 release

MediBang Inc.

• Cocktail Magic - Upcoming release

Kamitsubaki Studio

• KAMITSUBAKI CITY REGENERATE - Upcoming release

Dayu Zixun

• Voice Love on Air - Upcoming release

Shiravune

• AMANATSU ~Perfect Edition~ - Released
• Destiny Star Girlfriend 2 - Q2 2024 release
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• An Aunt After My Own Heart - 2024 release, rejected by Steam
• Kara no Shoujo III - Announced
• Sacrifice Villains - Announced

Dramatic Create

• The Town of Nie - September 19th release
• Meiji Tokyo Renka Full Moon - 2024 release
• Steam Prison Beyond the Steam - 2024 release
• Nie no Machi -Iro Musubi- - 2025 release

Kagura Games

• Forsaken Quartet - Released
• Yoru ga Kuru! -Square of the Moon- Remastered - 2024 release
• Angel Tear: Goddess Betrayed - Upcoming release

Aniplex

• Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- - June 27th release
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Spike Chunsoft

• The Quintessential Quintuplets: Memories of a Quintessential Summer - May 23rd release
• The Quintessential Quintuplets: Five Memories Spent With You - May 23rd release

Love Lab

• Ever Maiden - 2024 release

DLsite

• Friendly lab - unlock(); - Upcoming release
• Club Suicide - Picked up

Idea Factory

• Cupid Parasite: Sweet and Spicy Darling - May 28th release
• 9 R.I.P. - Fall 2024 release
• Date A Live: Ren Dystopia - 2024 release

CRAFTWORK

• Geminism - English version announced

Harukaze

• Monkeys! - English release planned

Moonchime

• Haunted Obachestra Vol.1 Awaking - Upcoming release

Alice In Dissonance

• Fault Milestone 2 - Side Below - Upcoming release

G-mode

• Shinjuku Soumei - Demo Released, May 24th release

MiKandi Japan

• Libra of the Vampire Princess - All versions of the patches in testing

PRODUCTION PENCIL

• Paradise Cleaning! -Tutor X Hypnosis- - Upcoming release

072 Project

• Princess Paradise - 2024 release

F&C

• NTR with hypnosis application - Upcoming release

Eroge Japan

• Trap Yuri Garden - June 10th release

Tensei Games

• Unfaithful Wife: Ayano's "Netorare Report" - My gentle wife is fucking another man - - Q2 2024 release

GRAVITY GAME ARISE

• Tokyo Psychodemic - Demo released, May 30th release

Dark Nyaa

• Master & Succubi Hentai Lessons 2 - April release

MintLip

• Him, the Smile & Bloom - August 8th release

Cherry Kiss

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Umesoft

• Weekend in Waimanalo - Released

First Previous Wiki
Ascendant Denali swept his tail across the floor. "Greetings. The New Ascendancy welcomes you and your kin, Diplomat Sommi."
The Misan creature did its equivalent of a bow, honoring him in his palace as was proper. He had been starved of respect from his surrounding powers lately and would feast upon this memory like a fine cut.
"The Misan Li Heptarchies receive your warm greetings, Ascendant Denali. We offer official congratulations on your ascent to the Trikkec throne, and the continued unification of your people. We are glad that you are regaining your prosperity, and offer additional aid to that end."
It was the perfect language of the High Dialect, with almost no imperfections on the translator's part. An expertly trained device, for sure, given the vast cavern between their respective languages. He had a translator as well working to ensure that the Diplomat heard his words correctly, and that he would know how their language distorted them to prevent any unfortunate misunderstandings.
Such things could be disastrous with certain civilizations, and Denali saw no need to make true enemies. He was strong enough to project power inside the New Ascendancy but nowhere near so outside of it. Pirates and raiders still festered upon the upper borders, and the lower borders were contested by a few minor lords who had survived the collapse of the Ascendancy. He was currently bombarding their planetary shields with asteroids and lasers.
"Aid of what sort, and with what stipulations?" Denali asked, waving an economic advisor over with a stray claw.
"Military and economic."
"Stipulations?"
"You close all business with the Alliance."
"Ah."
Denali stepped off his throne. "Diplomat, I can assume you know how valuable that relationship is to the Ascendancy? I assume you already have a plan to replace them with something better. If your plan is ready, I will have my advisors review it. If not, no further discussions are to take place."
"Do you accept their power over you, Ascendant?"
"In this galaxy, it does not matter what we accept. If a Sprilnav comes barging into your house and takes your mate in front of you, there is nothing you can do. If one of the Core Powers manages to reach us, they can do the same. There are the laws of nations, and there are those of power. The Alliance's aid, even as its darker purposes twist it, has saved millions of lives. Children eating. Families working. They have the might of two AIs behind them."
"They are far too young of a nation for you to realistically believe their abilities are this high."
"Many have made that mistake," Denali said. "They are an older nation than mine, certainly. Would you say that my nation's abilities are lower?"
"I would not."
"Then you tell lies. I am not some foolish monarch who cannot see the reality in front of him. The Alliance's aid is a tool to keep me leashed like some common lizard. But it comes with economic growth and power that fuels the New Ascendancy further. I do not believe I will overtake their growth even when the entire species is reunited. And since your borders are further away than theirs, you will have added economic costs to any aid you give, with little gain on your end."
"They influence your culture. Your people."
"They do," Denali agreed. "You are a powerful nation as well. You would do the same with your own aid, yes? And you would call for us to destroy our traditions, our religions, and our very culture. We have seen your attempts at negotation with other powers nearer to you. You are an aspiring hegemon. But the Alliance's hegemony is already established. The Grand Defense Organization is something that I might even join, when I have the military might to meet their threshold."
"Why?"
"Because when power rises, others can latch on," Denali said. "Your offer, please. I am quite interested to hear it."
The Diplomat gave him a tablet. Denali brought it up with a hologram isolated from the network. His eyes began to shine.
"You should have led with this, Diplomat."
"Ah, but I needed to see the esteemed Ascendant's viewpoint on us. It is a shame that you must bow and scrape to the Alliance. How would you like to meet them on the field of battle?"
Denali chuckled. "I would like it very much, were they a normal nation. But they are taking planet crackers from King Siran and hauling them back to their space. They have a few of their own, not just stolen from the Wisselen."
"And they are pacifist."
"But not weak, Diplomat. All that means is they will not start the fight. But as we stand now, they will finish it. And a transfer of this many ships likely comes with enormous drawbacks and conditions."
"Then let us discuss those conditions, Ascendant. I am sure something more sufficient to your tastes can be selected."
"I am glad to hear that." Denali made a table hologram that was complete with hard light compatibility. Seating for the Misan, his guards, and Denali and his guards also appeared. The table was transparent.
"I will present my documents on this, and we can discuss in greater detail how you can divest from the Alliance without significant economic damage. There are certain facets we have identified which are key to your growth: military might, industrial capacity, and social cohesion."
Denali rubbed his teeth with his claws. Several cooks came in, bringing him food. The Misan Diplomat and his entourage refused, which was expected given the vast differences in their palettes.
"Those are indeed key parts of the Alliance's aid. Do you have an answer for me which is cheaper than the exports of the Alliance?"
"Yes. We can deliver 250 billion androids capable of continuous work for 20 years, each with a 96% likelihood of continued operation at the end of this period. We are willing to deliver these for you at once, though we would only request an escort of your ships alongside our own for added diplomatic security."
"A veritable army," Denali said.
"None of which will carry or operate weapons."
"We would need to verify that before shipping," Denali said. "As we would need to do for the price. The Alliance demands 1% of our current discretionary yearly foreign trade budget. How does your offer compare?"
"We would ask for a 30 year non-aggression agreement, and diplomatic outposts in your territory, as well as a possible defense pact, where we can defend you legally and militarily against Alliance encroachment."
"A large offer," Denali said. "Tell me, what is in it for you?"
"The Heptarchies wish to curtail the Alliance's growing influence by any means necessary, even if it means spending large amounts of money in the process. Having a monetary outflow is something the Heptarchies are happy to entertain, and we would be grateful for you to join us in this endeavor."
"And what of the risk of me playing both sides?"
"We can offer you high enough boons to ensure that does not occur."
So a bribe, then. A massive one. It was already enticing, but Denali sensed he could get more with better negotiations.
"You mentioned social cohesion and military might as well," Denali said. "Can you explain what you mean by this, and what aid you will send to address this?"
Now, the Diplomat looked more uncertain. It was an act, though a fairly convincing one. The pause lengthened.
"Ascendant Denali, surely you understand..."
"I understand you said 'any means necessary' for curtailing the Alliance. With an AI in their nation, such a thing will be expensive, yes? I'm sure that I need not remind you I will choose what is best for my nation overall. And if you cannot come through... I can always notify them of this offer to explore their ability to match it. Or, gods forbid, even exceed it."
"The trade agreement cannot encompass-"
"Then we have nothing more to discuss, Diplomat."
"Wait! Fine, we can discuss it! Just let us work out the new conditions. They're favorable to you, Ascendant. The Heptarchies value you as a potential customer-"
"I'm sure you do. You have four days to present an offer I appreciate more," Denali said, shoving the tablet back at the Diplomat. "Would you like me to procure food capable of Misan consumption?"
"That would be kind of you, Ascendant. We will accept that. And we will begin drafting a more suitable deal for both of our nations."
"Good!" Denali grinned, settling upon his chair with a new sense of pride in his posture.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Elder Pundacrawla settled his robe about his shoulders as he waited outside the room. In his implant, a small countdown reached zero. The silver doors slid open, and his eyes feasted on the room. It was quite ornate, but what really set it apart was the scene in the center. Elder Kashaunta sat on a short chair across a small table from the object of the entire star system's latest obsessions.
The bipedal alien sat in her own chair, which had an odd raised section to support her back. Her clothing was somewhat simple, with black and grey fabric covering her upper torso. He could tell the fabric was high quality—in fact, it was infused with psychic energy.
Her odd face looked a little smushed, and there was a faint red color to her pale skin and two bars of psychic energy thicker than he'd ever seen adorning her cheeks. She appeared unassuming, but her eyes latched onto him with an entrancing glare.
Her scrutiny waved over him, making Pundacrawla smile. Her gray hair fluttered, with a ring of fabric collecting it behind her head to rest on her back. Her fingers were short, without claws of any appreciable size. Her feet were hidden entirely by shoes; he could sense a thick armor.
In the mindscape, she roiled with collected psychic energy, like a promise of action for any slight. Her mind almost looked to have three minds in one, and iron bands of psychic energy encircled it from all sides, even above and below, preventing any quick avenue of mental attack. All in all, she was like an alien Elder when the conceptual energy came into account. She reminded Pundacrawla of an old friend, a secret he kept with Kashaunta that initially had been her leverage over him.
"It is an honor to meet you," Penny said. "You look as impressive as Kashaunta said."
There was no accent. The words flowed from her mouth smoothly, and Kashaunta showed no reaction to the omission of her title. That alone spoke volumes, and Pundacrawla knew he would be showing Penny more respect than most had the privilege to receive.
"I am happy to meet you as well, Penny Balica. Your accomplishments follow your name, and you are also quite impressive."
He settled on a third chair that appeared in front of him. He took a deep breath, his eyes falling on the pair of them.
"Elder Kashaunta has hired me to serve as your lawyer in the Judgment trial," Pundacrawla said. "This requires a great deal of risk to be taken on my part, which has also required that I received advancements."
He drew the word out, causing Penny to raise an eyebrow.
"Advancements?"
"Yes. I would like you to push the Soul Blade toward my left front leg."
Penny drew the sword, her fingers wrapping around the hilt easily. A grip of psychic energy materialized on her hands, and she carefully pressed the tip of it into the place he'd marked.
His skin was pierced. Penny frowned as her weapon went no further. Black blood spilled from the wound, which closed within moments.
"What?"
"These are Type 3 nanites," Pundacrawla said. Black limbs materialized on his back, a second set of arms. And then a third set. They withdrew quickly.
"They also happen to cost a considerable amount of money," Kashaunta said. "Which I have paid, thanks to the added funds your singularities have brought."
"I will tell you not to worry if I am killed in the courtroom. I already have a deal in place with the Collective to ensure, at considerable costs, that I will still survive in some form."
"And killing Pundacrawla is also a declaration of war on the Peoples' Autonomous Stars," Kashaunta added. "You do not stand alone."
"Indeed, I do not," Pundacrawla smiled. He bowed his head toward Penny. "If I may, I would like to start the discussion around the argument for this case."
His implant connected to several devices on his body, manifesting many holographic articles and stories around the room. Penny's 'Liberator' title was printed on half of them in the headline. In others, images and even videos of her in various situations took precedence.
Pundacrawla pulled up an image of Penny kneeling in the rubble of Justicar, holding a dead child. "This is the argument I will make for you."
Penny nodded, her silence confirming that this was the right decision.
"You will be the alien who came to a world named after the concept of justice, and an Elder who bears the same name. I will show how you care for many Sprilnav in your life, and also that you have little motivation to do so purely for the Judgment. I will show you as a loving daughter to a doting father, as a willing partner of Elder Kashaunta, bearer of the Pact of Blades, and as a woman capable of acting with wisdom and grace beyond her years to work with an enemy to sign a truce contract.
I will paint you in as sympathetic a light as possible and will eventually call you as a witness several times. You will need to swear upon your life that you are not lying, and Indrafabar and Justicar will both be capable of detecting your lies, total or partial. If you want to win this case, you will follow my advice without hesitation and without question. Do you understand?"
"I do, Lawyer Pundacrawla."
"You may call me High Lawyer Pundacrawla, or Elder Pundacrawla. With an Eonic degree, I am deserving of this title, and it will remind them of who backs you and who I am."
"I understand."
Pundacrawla took a long moment to organize his thoughts. He removed unnecessary jargon that might be untranslatable. He had the VI program rephrase and dumb down the explanations he needed to say so they would be shorter and easier to understand. Understanding was critical for the early phases of any case, and the client always needed to be ready for what came.
That was Rule 53.
"Now for the second half of the Judgment. The Alliance. They have published a great deal of rhetoric condemning the Sprilnav and the Elders. Yasihaut will first attempt slander using the usual methods. Your species, your barbarity, your lack of being Elders. She will find images of people on social media platforms calling for the deaths of the Sprilnav en mass.
If she desires, she will flood them with this, as the Alliance's population allows for many instances to be located. She may call to past Elders' deaths or to the previous battles with herself and Kashaunta in the earlier history of your nation. But the most likely platform she will use to pose the Alliance as a threat will be the presence of Phoebe, Edu'frec, Brey, and the hivemind of Humanity. The reasons for this are many. I will list several now, with ideal ways to counter them also attached.
Given Yasihaut's personality, she feels that you and the Alliance's continual success is a direct and constant threat to her reputation as an Elder. When you first shamed her, this is what ignited her hatred. Kashaunta has regaled you more on what reputation means to us immortals, but it is a severe concern. Do not underestimate her willingness to regain her reputation and to do so by attempting to defeat you in a public matter.
Here, your physical advantages will be nullified. If you speak out of turn or show signs of resistance, they will be twisted against you and the Alliance. The next reason is that your specific rivalry is personal. It is unique, and the High Judges know this. You are a threat to her, and everyone in that court knows you mean to kill her when the Judgment ends. Do not express your wishes to do this because she may present your threat to her as one to Elders overall. Now, for the Alliance, the fear of AI, unregulated, intelligent, and improving, as Phoebe and Edu'frec both qualify as, is ancient and potent among the Elders.
Across all of history, rogue AI presents the largest threat to our rule, making weapons capable of disabling our ships with merely thousands of years of time to advance. The Alliance has been given leniency on this. But most importantly is the Path. For an AI, approaching technological singularity is a threat to all other beings in existence by the sheer possibilities that it provides. Yasihaut knows this, as do the High Judges. I will aim to prove that Phoebe and Edu'frec do not intend to kill the Elders or go to war with them when they reach singularity.
But this, Penny, will require that Phoebe comes to the stand herself and swears before the court. The Collective will be connected to her and will be capable of detecting the lies in all forms she attempts to tell. This is likely the only way to defeat the arguments Yasihaut presents in that manner. While Phoebe is not allowed to represent you as a lawyer, she is still allowed to be a witness, presumably for exactly this reason. The Collective will also use this as a means to determine Phoebe's progress in weaponry, so I suggest she finds a way to hide those memories well. The next reason Yasihaut will involve the Alliance is because it is visibly divided.
Your leaders bicker and argue, and she will attempt to use this to show you as an unstable power with dangerous ambition. She will use the clashes between your leaders as a way to convince the High Judges that you cannot be trusted, as your lifespans are too short and your minds too alien to remain trustworthy and united in their support of any sort of treaty. She will likely use this to bypass the reality of your truce with Valisada, which the Alliance is not a direct party to. She will discuss the specific threat of Brey in the Alliance. Her ability to use portals makes your nation over fifty times as productive as it would otherwise be.
This makes you an economic threat, coupled with Phoebe. Brey has a historical hatred of the Sprilnav, which also motivates possible military attacks against us. She is also being directly strengthened by the Alliance's psychic amplifiers. I will attempt to stave off this argument by downplaying the threat Brey poses and showing the reality that a Progenitor could kill her instantly.
I am not expecting any specific arguments in this scenario to be effective against the High Judges. This will be a difficult point if Yasihaut exploits it properly. As for the hivemind of Humanity, your threat comes in multiple forms. Firstly, we can confirm you share some power with the hivemind. So if you grow strong, it too will grow strong, and it bends to the will of Humanity as a whole. Polls show that you all, to put it lightly, hate us.
The hivemind also has a direct diplomatic link to the Source and easy access to it via the Servant in the hivemind's city and the city's location itself amidst the Source's bones. Remember that many of us still call the Source the Great Enemy and the Servants the Enemy. Yasihaut will likely attempt to use Rimiaha's presence here to link you as well to the image of the Source, if not the hivemind. If she does this successfully, you will lose the case.
The hatred we have for the Servants is almost bottomless and is only exceeded by that of the Source. Kashaunta has told me that there have been over 30 thousand attempts to kill Rimiaha since he got here, most psychic in nature. All of them have failed due to the intervention of either Justicar, Kashaunta herself, or Rimiaha using his psychic energy to blend in with Sprilnav. Behind the scenes, Kashaunta has destroyed entire mercenary companies in the Underground for this and made deals with Justicar to suppress any mention of this to avoid stirring the fires of war. I will do whatever I can to distance you from Rimiaha.
But if this fails, you must call him to the stand. Make him testify of his lack of willingness to attack the Sprilnav. Indrafabar may request that his mind be invaded to determine the truth about this. If the Source intervenes in that case or Rimiaha refuses, you will also lose the trial. This is the most dangerous idea that Yasihaut could bring against you, which links back to Humanity and you, Penny.
Another reason she has is that if she can push the Judges enough on the Alliance to either level more restrictions or kill the AIs, you will be crippled beyond recovery and will fade into nothingness for her to kill at her leisure. In short, most of this trial hinges on circumstances and testimonies given by witnesses. This is another reason Indrafabar is on the case. He can detect lies in almost any being if he uses his power. And if you resist, which you might be capable of, but..."
"I lose."
"Exactly. This is not a place of honor. This is not a court like before. Arguments will be heard, debated, and either accepted and recorded or discarded and ignored. I will do my best to use Justicar's law principles like recency to your favor, but history is littered with petty Judges making decisions on cases related to how much a threat people are. Not to this level, of course, but there is luckily precendent to lean on in both types of outcomes."
"Pundacrawla, I thank you for your high-level overview. Shall I assume the legal jargon was left out of your description?"
"Yes," he said. "I was uncertain if some words would translate."
"What are my realistic chances for winning this trial?"
Pundacrawla sighed. He didn't want to see her hope shatter, but he refused to lie. Kashaunta seemed fine with him sitting here and talking about things truthfully. If she wasn't, she would have requested a different lawyer.
"In the worst case scenario, which is Indrafabar and Justicar dislike you, and Yasihaut has a lawyer with an Eonic degree of their own, then I would say about 9%."
"That is quite high, actually, for a worst case scenario."
"That is only because this is a Trial by Majority, Kashaunta's backing and all that implies, your friendships with Nilnacrawla, Spentha and Equisa's continued survival within the Alliance, the various political motivations the Judges might have, the fact that you have built up your image, that you have refrained from killing your enemies recently, and the extreme nature of Yasihaut's hatred for you.
Your attack on Tassidonia's court normally would have been the death knell for you. But since your power didn't kill anyone and specifically was weakened to avoid that, it has been a boon more than a curse. And the Sprilnav with bleeding hearts also are pleased with your war on slavery. You will lose that war without Kashuanta's help, but your determination on that is seen as an endearing characteristic."
"Endearing?"
"The Elders think of you as a child, Penny," Kashaunta said. "Your fight against slavery is seen as a childish fantasy, but in a good way. If you wish, Pundacrawla can lean into either your maturity or immaturity on this case. Both may achieve the desired effect, if done right."
"I am not sure about that. Who will watch this trial, and how many?"
"Cast away your ego, Penny, it will not serve you here," Pundacrawla said.
"I'm 76 years old. I can handle this."
"I don't think-"
"200 quintillion," Kashaunta blurted out. Penny flinched.
"What?"
"That is the number of watchers on the channels that have reserved timeslots for the trial among Sprilnav territory."
"And... Elders?"
"35 million, likely including all the Elders with names of any note," Kashaunta said. Pundacrawla gave a worried look to Penny. But the human just took a deep breath and nodded.
"Thank you for telling me. That is manageable."
"You're quite composed about this," Pundacrawla noted.
"I can conceptualize the enormity of that, but also this is a pretty big deal. And if I prove that I am fighting for the common people, it will achieve-"
"Nothing," Kashaunta said. "They cannot rebel on a large enough scale to risk toppling the Elders. If there is one aspect of our system that has survived the rot of a billion years of decay, it is the ability to divide and conquer. This is not an opportunity to get a manifesto out. I warn you against treating it as such."
At first, Penny looked wary of accepting the Elder's advice. She seemed to contemplate that matter, though she was really talking with her adoptive father. But instead of arguing, she simply smiled.
"I understand, Kashaunta. Thank you. I was getting a little sidetracked. All that matters is winning."
"So is there anything I can do to increase my chances?" Penny asked Pundacrawla.
"Outreach. Keep fighting the slavers, and maybe do a few interviews. Make sure to express a lack of hostility toward the Sprilnav people. And be wary of the gangs. When you are in the trial, they may seek revenge upon the freed slaves, or upon you yourself. I would not be surprised if they did their best to conduct false flag attacks under your name. In high-profile trials like this with many enemies, that risk is high. The gangs have high numbers of personnel and a motivation to see you lose this trial before you destroy them."
"I see. Thank you, High Lawyer Pundacrawla," Penny said, lowering her head in an approximation of a bow. Kashaunta nodded but didn't say anything. Penny took another breath in, and Pundacrawla could feel the air currents entering her nostrils.
"Can you explain exactly how a Trial by Majority would work versus the previous sort of Judgment?"
"Previously, the Judges, led by a High Judge, had to agree on a verdict. In that case, they failed. This structure is more flexible, however. All the Judges on the court, or the High Judges in this case, may voice their opinions behind closed doors and attempt to come to a verdict. They will emerge when the agreed-upon time period has passed, and their decisions will be made public.
If one Judge disagrees, there will not be a mistrial. Instead, the verdict with the most Judges behind it, ideally the majority opinion, will be the one chosen. This Judgement will have 20 High Judges. The final verdict, if none can reach the required 11 Judges to pass, will simply be held once all remaining evidence is heard or discarded."
"Held?"
"The High Judges will be required to resolve the dispute. If there are three or more options, the one or multiple with the fewest High Judges backing it will be discarded, until a runoff occurs. The result will then determine the verdict given."
"Can I be acquitted of the charges if that is the majority opinion?"
"Yes, you can. So can the Alliance. The structure of this Judgment is such that Indrafabar and Justicar will counterbalance each other."
"Can't Indrafabar just offer them money to do what he wants?"
"If he wants to lose his licence, severely harm his reputation, and destroy the careers of the High Judges being bribed, sure. While obviously Justicar will not have the power to truly punish him, the consequences would be severe, to say nothing of the other Progenitors. Given the factions present within them, it would be quite unwise for him to influence the case in such a manner. That influence would not be accepted by all."
"What if Yasihaut makes them an offer they can't refuse, or tries to make it look like Kashaunta did to get me in trouble?"
"I have taken steps to prevent that second outcome," Kashaunta said. "As for the first, my spies within Yasihaut's groups will alert me of it, and Justicar will know."
"But if he is a High Judge, wouldn't that be a conflict of interest?"
"His institutions function properly even without his intervention," Kashaunta replied. "There is little risk of that on his part."
"Hmm. Kashaunta, should I hide the Pact of Blades until the trial?"
"Yes. Its shock value will be maximum at that point."
"Elder Pundacrawla, are the rules on decorum the same as before?"
"Yes, but this time there will be proper enforcement. With the galaxy's eyes on him, Justicar will have no choice but to be firm in this trial. He will not be lenient to either of you, and might punish you more for infractions given that you are not a Sprilnav. It is unfair, but it is in his best interest to please the Elders who will be viewing this trial."
"Kashaunta, is there a way I can help you with the politics around this trial?" Penny asked. "I know if the event is this big, there is a lot for you to do, either to gain or to lose."
"A thoughtful offer. I might require one more linear singularity, and to finally get a piece of that negative energy you promised me. If you could tune your rhetoric toward peace with the Elders, it would help my position massively. The Alliance has already started scrubbing anti-Sprilnav rhetoric from its networks after I discussed the damage they could do, so what remains is your opinions. After the Judgment, more eyes will be on you than before. Declare your continued anti-slavery position, and I will have an easier time helping you with less damage to my reputation due to the revealed Pact of Blades."
"Do you also have an entourage of Elders to back you through thick and thin?" Penny asked. Pundacrawla smiled, glad that she was concerned about helping Elder Kashaunta.
She didn't know it, but now Pundacrawla was fully resolved to help her case. He'd been properly convinced that she really did care for her friends. In this case, while she likely was conflicted about it, Kashaunta was her friend. Given the Pact of Blades was in place between them, they were lifelong friends, close enough to be effectively married.
The political meaning of the Pact was certainly closer to that side of it since its most common use was to unify powerful Elder families. Kashaunta didn't have a family name, but that was because her name already carried so much weight everyone knew who was related to her. Pundacrawla gave Kashaunta a list of additional actions Phoebe needed to take using his implant. Kashaunta's eyes sparkled with recognition, though Penny didn't seem to notice.
"I do," Kashaunta said. "They all work for me. Most of them I acquired through either mud diving or through owed favors, though."
"Mud diving?" Penny asked.
"It is a term for doing one's utmost to please a superior for personal benefit, even if the 'please' section is derived from an unfortunate root meaning."
"I see. Elder Pundacrawla, can you get me something I can use for personal communication to you and Kashaunta, like an implant but less invasive?"
"Yes, I can do that," he responded.
"And also, one more thing before we go. Displace."
Penny appeared right in front of him, crouching down so her eyes aligned perfectly with his. They crackled with psychic energy, but beneath them lay a guarded desperation that he recognized from many of his more unfortunate past clients.
"I will not threaten you right now. But I need you to understand what is at stake for me. My friends. My family. My species. My nation. Over 200 billion living, breathing souls with lives and dreams they struggle every day to inch closer to. My titles, Champion of Humanity and Liberator, do not describe what I am but who I am. My world, my people. My home. Everything I have ever known and everything I have ever loved is at stake. Maybe you know what that is like. Maybe you don't.
Either way, please, I beg you to do your best to save us. I'm relying on you to be my hero, Pundacrawla. You can do this, and you must, or I will die for nothing. You will live with the consequences of this Judgment for the rest of your life. I hope you are everything Kashaunta claims you to be and more.
Hundreds of billions of people are counting on you. Look me in the eyes, Pundacrawla. Take in my alien face and my alien features. Know the creature standing here, and tell her you will do everything you can to save her and her people. And if it comes down to choosing to save me or the Alliance, save the Alliance."
Pundacrawla let out a breath. The hot air flowed across Penny's face, moving alien hair strands to the side. He looked into her eyes, peering into the reflection of three beings inside of her.
"Penny Balica. Champion of Humanity. Liberator. Human. I, Pundacrawla, High Lawyer, Elder, and Sprilnav, promise you, with all of my heart, all of my mind, and all of my soul, that I will do my best to win this Judgment for you and your kin. My actions will speak even louder than my words to you."

Hello. I’ve recently gotten into legendary this last year and me and my family love it. We play it almost every weekend together and have a good amount of expansions. One game we decided to play was attack of the nano virus. With the mastermind ultimate poison Thanos. Now already this is hard because we’re trying to balance not losing all our wounds. And not making Thanos too strong. We’ve probably played this combination 10+ times trying to figure out different combinations of heroes and villains and nothing seems to work. We either run out of wounds. Or he takes to many different cost cards that he becomes way to powerful for us to even touch. Im not sure what we need to do to defeat him but any advice would be helpful.
The expansions we have are Paint the town red venom Deadpool Dark city Secret wars volume 1 Civil wars Doctor strange Noir Guardians of the galaxy New mutants Messiah complex Fantastic four Midnight sons 2099

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Mike marveled at the beauty of the inner city. He was familiar with Kael architecture and had even seen some up close at the university, but it was far grander here than on Earth, and it was far grander in person than in the videos and pictures he'd seen. The buildings were a hybrid of Gothic and expressionist architecture built with classical aesthetics.
Mosaics, statues, and murals were everywhere, but despite the grand buildings and beautiful decorations, Mike couldn’t keep his eyes off the ground. Even the streets are beautiful.
The ground he and Dreki walked was like a freshly cooled lava flow paved by slates of colored glass that softly glowed in the dimming light of the evening sun.
As they walked, Mike was woken from his trance by the scent of meat cooking.
Dreki smiled and said, “Smells good. You hungry?”
Mike nodded.
Dreki grinned and led Mike around the corner to a food cart. Mike salivated as the flames licked and sputtered at fat dripping from hunks of what looked like octopus turning on spits. The aroma of meat and spices was intoxicating. Dreki ordered them octopus skewers. As he handed Mike his skewer, Dreki said, “You’re never going to be able to eat earth octopus again.”
Mike chuckled. “I’ve never had it in the first place; I grew up in the mountains thousands of miles from the ocean.”
Dreki looked incredulous. “Did you not have rivers?”
Mike shrugged his shoulders, “Not with octopi.”
Dreki raised his free hand in exasperation. “Whatever. Either way, you’ll be disappointed by the rubbery trash humans call an octopus after eating this.”
Mike took a bite of the meat and groaned in pleasure. It tasted like a beefier version of bacon. Mike wolfed down his skewer in the blink of an eye and exclaimed, “That was fucking good!”
Dreki gave him a “Mhhhmh” with his still mouth full.
Dreki finished his food and led Mike off the main road onto a footpath flanked by wispy trees with dark blue leaves.
Eventually, the pair entered the back garden of a building that looked like a melted cathedral. Dreki led him through an open gate into a well-lit waiting room and held out his arm. “Hand me your bag; I’ll take it to your room. I’ll come get you after.”
Mike slipped his bag from his shoulders and handed it to Dreki. As the herculean Kael was leaving, he turned and said, “Try not to scream when they brand you; it’s an ill omen.”
Mike drummed his fingers on the armrests of the chair in the sea foam green waiting room, which was decorated with pictures of duels and exotic plants in white and blue ceramic pots. He was pretty sure that more than one of the photographs was of Dreki’s father.
Mike was anxious. Getting branded would suck, and getting an AR implant would involve someone sticking a drill through his skull. And without his gargantuan minder, Mike felt almost naked. He knew that he would probably be fine, but this was the home of the enemy. Without any weapons, he stood little chance against any Kael worth their salt in a fight.
Mike chided himself for the thought. Why does everything have to revolve around violence? Is there no world where you can just get along with them?
Mike frowned. No. I hate them. Despite his barely contained rage, Mike felt nauseous as blood-soaked memories bombarded his mind.
He doubted that he could kill again, even if it meant dying.
Dreki’s not so bad; maybe out here, more of them are like him than Ocidea.
Mike’s melancholy was interrupted when the tall door at the far end of the room opened. A short, for a Kaelman, nurse wearing pea green scrubs walked out, locked eyes with him, and shouted, “Mike Anderson!”
Mike followed the short Kael nurse into a cream-colored operating room. In the center an instrument table hovered next to an operating table. Besides the operating table stood a middle-aged Kael with tusks intricately inlaid with silver in triangular patterns. His white lab coat had Chief Surgeon Athocill emblazoned over the right breast pocket.
The Chief Surgeon stared off into space, engrossed in AR. The nurse who brought him in pointed to the operating table. Mike sat down.
A slender Kaelwoman in scrubs and a lab coat identifying her as the assistant surgeon walked in and started arranging the tools.
She glanced at Mike and said, “Take off your shirt.”
Mike pulled the black T-shirt he was wearing over his head and set it on the table next to him.
Without looking away from his work, the Chief Surgeon tossed Mike a leather strap and said, “Brand him.”
The short nurse pulled a heat stamp from its case and rolled the numbers to their correct positions. Mike put the leather strap in his mouth and grabbed onto the table.
Dreki’s warning rang through his head*.*
The Nurse carefully placed the print plate just below Mike’s collarbone and pushed it down. The heat stamp's coils flashed white. Mike bit down on the leather strap as hard as he could, and his knuckles popped as he gripped the edges of the operating table as hard as he could. Tendrils of smoke billowed off Mike’s chest as his flesh was seared, and the acrid smell of burnt hair and torched flesh wafted through the room.
Mike stifled a groan as the nurse peeled the superheated steel off his chest. The Nurse set the smoking stamp back in its case to cool and picked up a small jar of viscous blue fluid and a brush. The nurse opened the jar, dipped the brush in the blue goop, and painted it over Mike’s still-smoking burn. Mike jolted at the freezing touch of the brush. His ribs and abdomen rose and fell rapidly as he took short, shallow breaths as the freezing cold shocked his nervous system.
The nurse put the brush away and closed the jar. “Done”
Mike let the leather strap drop from his mouth and put on a straight face as he externally disguised the pain. Showing weakness was not an option, even if every fiber of his being commanded him to scream.
The assistant took hold of Mike’s arm and spoke. “Make a fist and squeeze.”
Mike did as she asked. It was a good distraction from the pain. His knuckles turned white, and the veins in his forearm bulged after a few seconds of pressure.
“You’ll feel a tiny pinch.”
The assistant jabbed the needle into the crook of his arm.
Mike’s head immediately felt heavy, and his whole body tingled. He tried to stay upright, to no avail. His vision grayed out as his head plopped onto the table with a thud.
The surgeon looked to his assistant and asked, “Is he out?”
“Yes.” She answered.
“Let us begin.”
The assistant used a small metal tool to pull Mike's right eyelid open. The chief surgeon plunged a gold needle into the depths of Mike’s right eye.
The surgeon carefully pulled the needle from the human’s eye and set the syringe back down on the floating instrument table.
“Targeting chip in place. Next stage.”
The nurse began rummaging around a drawer in the back of the room, and the chief surgeon plucked a gleaming silver drill from the instrument table.
The drill in the surgeon's hand whirred as he plunged it into Mike’s skull. After just a few seconds, the drill bored through Mike's skull. The surgeon pulled the drill out of the human's head and angled the bit down into a small metal dish that was in the extended arms of the assistant. The chief surgeon hit a button on the drill with his thumb.
A bloody, dime-sized piece of Mike’s skull dropped to the bottom of the metal dish with a clang.
He set the drill back down on the instrument table and held out his hand. “Drone.”
The nurse put an insect-like metal contraption that resembled a whip scorpion in the surgeon’s hand. The chief surgeon's eyes glazed as he entered his AR and took control of the drone. It popped out of his hand and burrowed itself into the hole in Mike's skull.
Inside his AR, he brought the drone to the occipital lobe of Mike’s brain.
“Deploying lattice.”
The arachnid-like drone injected small metal spikes with spools of minuscule wire attached—anchor points—into Mike’s brain. After just a minute's work, the surgeon had crafted a web of wires across Mike's brain. He brought the drone back to the center of Mike’s brain and planted one final anchor spike. A reel inside one of the claw-like appendages at the front of the drone spun, cinching the lattice of wires down to the last anchor point. The surgeon brought the drone around again, ensuring that the web of copper was completely taut against the human’s brain. He brought the drone back out and smiled ever so slightly as the blood and cerebrospinal fluid-soaked drone hopped back into his gloved hand.
Chief Surgeon Athocill smiled and jovially said, “Patch him up.” He was pleased with his performance today. This was the first human to get an advanced AR package, and the procedure went flawlessly. The assistant grabbed a quarter-sized piece of flesh-colored putty and carefully placed the small piece of skull onto it. She placed the putty over the hole in Mike’s head, and it took to life, bonding the fragment of bone back into place and sealing the surface wound.
The surgeon removed his gloves and began typing on a holoprojection. “All systems are operational. I’m linking him to the military network now.”
The assistant pulled the instrument table to her side and plucked a syringe filled with neon green fluid. She said, “I’m waking him up now,” as she plunged the needle into Mike’s arm.
Mike’s eyes flew open, and he grit his teeth against the pain. Tears seeped from his stinging and blood-filling right eye. Every heartbeat brought a jolt of crippling pain to his head. And worst of all was the searing pain from the brand on his chest and the aching cold that barely disguised it. Mike sat up with a grunt. Pain shot through his chest when he brought his hand to his head and felt the hardened disc of putty on his temple.
The surgeon addressed Mike with a soothing tone. “On the count of three, I’m going to activate your AR. It will feel like your head is on fire for a few seconds, but it will only last a few seconds. One… Two… Three!”
Mike nearly collapsed with the pain, but he managed to limit his response to a grunt. Light flashed before his eyes, and Kaelic text appeared in the center of his vision. The doctor asked, “What do you see.”
Mike answered, “AR active. And below that, it says setup wizard.” Despite his best efforts, pain was evident in his voice.
“Ok, Mike, I want you to think, ‘open setup wizard.’”
Mike blinked a few times. “Nothing happened.”
The surgeon said, “Think it in Kaelic.”
Mike’s brow furrowed in concentration. He was fluent in Kaelic, but not to the point where he could think in the language at will.
“Ok, I got it. It says setting menu at the top, and there are a ton of things here. Do you want me to read them off?”
“No. Can you scroll down?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You should be able to get the hang of this pretty quickly; it's very intuitive. You’ll see that there are a few HUD profiles that you can pick from. I’d recommend you start from profile two and then customize it as you see fit.”
Mike nodded as he selected profile two.
“OK, now think clear.”
Mike did as the surgeon asked. His vision was now cleared.
The surgeon smiled. “Feel free to fiddle with the settings, just think clear if it gets cluttered, and reset if you make a dog’s breakfast of it. You’ll have a headache for the next few days, and you may start having more vivid dreams, but other than that, you’ll barely notice the change. Just take it easy for the next few days, and don’t itch at your brand or your eye.”

So some of the stats are straight forward, but I'm not sure about some of the stats. The stats that I think you want to be high are:
Speed (needs red paint job upgrade) Tractive power (ability to pull loads, especially up hills?) Popularity (increases passenger ticket price?) Reliability? (I'm assuming this means less breakdowns as locomotive maintenance goes down)
Stats I'm assuming where lower numbers are good: Price Maintenance Requirements (this is a % reduction in maintenance costs?) Consumption (water, sand, oil usage?)
I'm just trying to make sure I understand the stats so I can make decent decisions when deciding which locomotives I should use when doing short rural runs.
Edit: I'm also curious about the special trailers. How does it determine when the bonus is applied? Specifically, does the refrigeration wagon only get checked when it gets sold to a city? Or is there another way of making this work?

Question if my contractor's quote for $2,250 in a VHCOL city for small laundry room tiling installation is priced reasonably. I'm a fairly new homeowner and trying out this licensed and insured contractor because everyone is so busy here. I hope he does a good job and I can give him more work.
Less than 40 square foot laundry room currently has peeling linoleum flooring from the 90s. Two front load washer and dryer machines currently inside laundry room. I already purchased porcelain hexagon tile and grout from Home Depot.
Contractor will move machines, demo flooring and baseboards, install tile and grout, install and paint new baseboards (leftover material), install wood trim on ground in doorway, clean dryer vent, remove laundry rack with hooks from wall, patch approx 8-10 holes, paint patched holes (leftover paint), install new hanging laundry rack (purchased from Wayfair).
TIA!

Question if my contractor's quote for $2,250 in a VHCOL city for small laundry room tiling installation is priced reasonably. I'm a fairly new homeowner and trying out this licensed and insured contractor because everyone is so busy here. I hope he does a good job and I can give him more work.
Less than 40 square foot laundry room currently has peeling linoleum flooring from the 90s. Two front load washer and dryer machines currently inside laundry room. I already purchased porcelain hexagon tile and grout from Home Depot.
Contractor will move machines, demo flooring and baseboards, install tile and grout, install and paint new baseboards (leftover material), install wood trim on ground in doorway, clean dryer vent, remove laundry rack with hooks from wall, patch approx 8-10 holes, paint patched holes (leftover paint), install new hanging laundry rack (purchased from Wayfair).
TIA!

I'm currently reading the Aeneid for the first time (David West's prose translation) and I noticed something odd.
In the introduction, West gives a summary of each book. The summary of each book includes the following line: "...Aeneas decides to leave the women, children, and old men in Sicily in a city ruled by Acestes..."
Later on, in the summary of book 12, when talking about Jupiter and Juno's discussion about letting the Trojans settle in Italy, West writes: "Having yielded, [Juno] now lays down her stipulations. Her essential point is that she will allow these Trojan men to settle in Italy and marry Italian wives, but only on condition that they forfeit all trace of their Trojan origins. Now we understand why the Trojan women had to be left in Sicily at the end of Book 5."
All in all, this introduction paints a pretty clear picture- all the women of Troy who were traveling with Aeneas were left in Sicily.
Looking at books 5, 9, and 11, however, paints a confusing picture.
On one hand, the following passage from book 5, taking place just before the Trojans leave Sicily, supports the introduction claims: "Even the women, even the men that had been shuddering at the sight of the Sea and unable to face its god, were now eager to sail and to endure to the end the whole agony of exile, but good Aeneas comforted then with words of love and wept as he entrusted them to their kinsmen Acestes."
On the other hand, this passage from book 5, which describes who is chosen to be left behind, says something else: "They transferred the mothers to the city and put ashore those who wished it, those spirits that felt no need for glory..."
Were only the mothers made to stay?
Then in Book 9, from Euryalus's request from the Trojan council: "I grieve for my mother of the ancient line of Priam. The land of Troy could not hold her when she came away with me, nor did the walls of King Acestes. As I now leave her, she knows nothing of the danger I am entering upon, whether it be great or small, and I have taken no farewell of her because - and I swear it by the Night and your own right hand - I could not hear to see my mother weep. But comfort her in her helplessness, I beg you, and support her in her desolation."
Ok, so one mother was taken to Italy with the Trojans... Right?
But then in book 11, when the Trojans mourn Pallas: "About them stood the whole throng of their attendants and all the Trojans and the women of Troy with their hair unbound in mourning after the manner of their people."
So there are multiple Trojan women here!
So- what gives? Who was left in Sicily? Was it all the Trojan women, as David West seems to claim? Was it only the mothers? Was it only the mothers except one mother?
Thanks for reading through this!

[ First / Previous ]
Memory Transcription Subject: Hileen, Krakotl Fugitive Recovery Agent
Date [standardized human time]: November 28th, 2136
It'd been a while since I sat in Marlig's office for a talk face-to-face. Given the agency's secluded location at the edge of the downtown region, it was a chore to drop by when it wasn't for business, but I'd deemed the matter at hand to be worth my time.
I passed by Nampi at her desk on my way to the door and she gave me a coy glare as I carried on. Trying to ignore her risible ear waggle, I turned the corner to the door with my boss’s name painted on the glass panel where I could hear the frantic crumpling of paper.
Quietly, I entered Marlig's office without prompt as I knew he hated to be spooked by knocking. My mentor was surprisingly spry for a bird at his age, sorting through papers with one wing and an eye while using his talons with the other to set away the papers he had splayed out.
“Hileen!” he chirped. “Glad you could make it in today. I was just finishing up my paperwork. Take a seat.”
It was always nice to hear him drop the professional motif for a more grandfatherly attitude when speaking in person. I did as he suggested and took a seat while he grumbled to himself over the sorting. My eye caught a few of the old contracts he was rifling through and saw that some dated back to his days as an agent.
Eventually, he left some sitting out as he sequestered the rest back into their files, sorted by a dichotomy that only he and Nampi could comprehend fully. He motioned with a wing for me to peruse and I turned the first one to face me to find it was my first contract, signed by me in a sloppy fashion. “This takes me back a couple of years.”
“Slick bastard thought he could get away on a forklift but you showed him! Certainly more exciting than my first day!”
“Mm-hmm. And it was when I nearly got impaled that you had the idea to commission all of us utility vests.”
He chuckled, “I really should’ve done so sooner. Cuts and scratches were already a risk, but a forklift was a new one!”
I flipped through the pages of each report, finding that Marlig's notes were filled with praises of my work. There were highs and lows, but I was flattered to find that the grizzled krakotl held my performance in such high regard.
“Flawless interception!” read one footnote about me catching a runner. “Couldn't have done it better myself!”
Marlig waited patiently as I browsed quickly through each page, realizing more and more how the notes also marked improvements in my work. How I found it easier to talk down a rowdy client, or apprehend them in the case that they were beyond helping on my part. Flowery language plastered most pages with him fawning over my work as a doting father would to his prodigal child.
The trend took a sharp turn as the notes became fewer and more critical the closer the dates reached to the present. I brushed the others aside with a wing to peruse the final paper. “And this…”
“Is Tac. Your latest contract. The most recent in a line of declining performance since the interview. This has become a pattern, Hileen, and its consequences are beginning to reach beyond yourself. Paji and Vesek resigned recently for personal reasons, which leaves us even less hands on deck than before. That's four people to cover the entire municipal region, and maybe even beyond, should needs arise. Three, if we include this little probation I have you on.”
“What was I supposed to do? Marlig, these ‘jobs’ you've got us working on overstep the contracts we were signed on with. Our job is to make sure people obey their court-mandated duties, not drag them off to the facilities ourselves!”
“... So the trip we took to the facilities did bother you.”
A sigh clicked in my throat as he reminded me. “Is that what happens to the people we take in, Marlig? Is that what would've happened to your wife?”
His feathers ruffled.
“That's what happens to those who are too dangerous to the general public to be left roaming free. Not everyone we deal with winds up there, but everyone can be subject to it. Miskela sued for her exoneration and proved in court that she was not diseased. I brought you there to show you how it helps the people, but I see now that it was a mistake. I understand why you were so perturbed, really, but it's how things have been for centuries. It's how we've protected ourselves from the dangers out there.”
“You were willing to let Barsul be interned there, too.”
Marlig flinched and sighed as he swept the papers towards himself once I'd signaled I was done. He turned one eye to me while he sorted them.
“There's no room for favoritism, girl. I negotiated for him to be allowed to walk free, and look where that got me. That boy - your neighbor - suffered the consequences of my nepotism. So too would the girl, had nobody intervened.”
“Like Richard.”
“The human, yes. Or you. Or the police. Where does this sudden obsession with humans come from, anyway? I get notifications of you talking about the acceptance of them all the time on forums.”
“Does it even need explaining?”
“Well, I guess not, no, but it's certainly an about-face from the way you used to talk about them with me beforehand.”
“People can change, for better or worse. Which one I fall under remains to be seen.”
Marlig stroked at the plumage on his neck as he finished his sorting. “I hope it's the former, for your sake. Was there any reason you came to talk, or were you just checking that I hadn't gone senile?”
“Well, I was hoping to borrow your secretary for the evening.”
He perked up while his eyes narrowed and he laced his fingers together with curiosity. “You… want to spend an evening with Nampi?”
“It's not what you're insinuating, but yes.”
“I was insinuating nothing,” he warbled coyly. “Go ahead and take her, and make sure to split the bill at dinner.”
“Pain-in-the-ass geezer. I'll keep in touch if your friend causes any more trouble.”
“Keep in touch regardless. Miskela and I get lonely in our old age,” he called back. “Take care.”
I stepped out into the hallway and turned toward the desk where I could hear the secretary's claws tapping furtively at her keyboard. Nampi sat silently with her ears and tail in a relaxed position that implied a bored demeanor. There was barely any response as I stood before her, waiting politely for her acknowledgment that never came.
Hesitantly, I cleared my throat.
An ear raised in acknowledgement, but her focus remained on the screen of her computer. “Mhm?”
“Do you…?”
Her ear rotated toward me, though she still maintained a passive attitude as she continued to glare mindlessly at the monitor.
“Are you free this evening?”
“Well, I'm quite booked, I believe. Why do you ask?”
I was surprised at her curt, dry tone. She hadn't spoken with me like this since we first got to know one another.
“Well,” I started. “I realized something. Every time we went out, whether it was clubbing, or dinner, or even walking around the parks, you always footed the bill. And so…”
Slowly, her other ear perked up and I saw her keystrokes slow down as she listened in.
“I wanted to return the favor?”
Her lips smacked as she opened her mouth, though paused before she spoke. “How could you possibly do that?”
“With a little gesture of friendship.”
Nampi's horizontal pupil turned up toward me and her tail twitched.
I continued, “So that belt you're wearing? It's the same belt you've worn since we first met. And I know you're the pragmatic type who'd never spend a credit more than she needs to, except for all the times you do"- her ears twitched in indignance -"I wanted to see about getting you a little something… extra?”
Her paws raised from the keyboard and she leaned in, resting her snout on her palms. “Go on.”
The bubbly venlil's tail sold out her collected facade as it twitched with anticipation. She was cornered and she didn't even know it yet.
“Well, I found just the place on the other side of town where we can start. It's a place almost as rich and indulgent as yourself.”
“The Platinum Paw? I mean3”
Her ears folded back in embarrassment as she cracked. She wasn't cut out for acting anyway.
“So that's what it's called! Jeez, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was called. Now what do you say? We go over there and find you something nice—”
I hadn’t even finished my thought before Nampi had grabbed her bag and was out the door, giving me a playful tail flick that said come and get me.

The place I suggested was in a shopping center on the opposite side of town, though easily accessible because of its proximity to the transport rails. Nampi had insisted on grabbing something to eat beforehand and so now gleefully bit into a bundle of stalks that had been “grilled” as explained from the food truck we'd stopped at.
Her tail flicked back and forth with her usual enthusiasm as we entered the massive complex of stores. The roofless plan allowed the natural, orange sun to flood the upper levels while artificial lighting illuminated the ground level wherever the light couldn't reach.
The place was built in the last decade by the previous City Magister in a bid for popularity, though ultimately for naught as he would lose the vote following a scandal involving an iftali priestess and a carved bar of soap. I had to say that despite being sick in the head, he sure had a great sense of decor.
Nampi snacked away, joining me in admiring the scenery as we continued to the place I’d planned out for us. Aimless chatter all melded together into a single, thrumming murmur as pedestrians navigated the many levels and stores offered in the place.
A troupe of children passed by us, held in a chain of tails and arms as they were escorted by a pair of venlil who I assumed were students and teachers on a school trip. I caught a whiff of a sweet, aromatic breeze and found it to come from a perfume shop on the same level as us; naturally, venlil were not to be found inside.
We passed a fountain where a couple sat on the edge, their tails twined together as they giggled and flirted. I turned and caught Nampi watching them as well, though she awkwardly returned to sucking the remains of her meal from her claws when we made eye contact. Her ears lifted when I raised a wing to signal to the store we were going to stop at first.
“Platinum Paw, The Greatest Fashion Emporium For Everyone!”
The title alone was painfully cliche, taken to the tenth power by the brightly lit store taking up three department slots. Despite the flashy exterior, though, it was the best place to shop for belts, brooches, and bracelets alike. Customers who looked like they earned my yearly salary in a week browsed the higher end brands while I brought my friend to the section I wanted to show her.
Her ears were held up as we stood together next to a shelf chock full of fashionable bags and bandoliers of every variety.
“Pick one,” I told her.
Nampi's ears shot to a straight pose in surprise, “Any?”
“Within reason. I've got a few extra credits to blow and I know nobody better to spend it on.”
With an inviting headtilt, I let Nampi peruse the shelves at her leisure. Her lips pursed together and her tail flicked with glee as she fingered at every piece that caught her eye. I chuckled at her outburst of enthusiasm while turning to find my own items to gloss over.
A breeze from outside nipped at my beak while I considered what I’d like to purchase. The place dripped with an atmosphere of faux hospitality, from the bright blue-stained floorboards to the radio prattling off advertisements in a sickeningly sweet tone to the faint, fruity aroma of scented cleaner. It was oppressive as only a fissan-owned company could be to the senses.
What I wouldn’t pay to see how a human would fare in such an environment.
I knew they were social creatures at least, but I had no doubt that the predatory senses of a human, so honed to hunting, would get overstimulated in this center of gaudy indulgence. Knowing I was something of a predator myself made me sympathize provided that even I had to squint to keep the pale lights inside from searing my eyes. I could only imagine how the arboreal eyes of a Terran would fare. I was so lost in thought imagining how lost the Terrans would be that I could almost ignore the obnoxious giggling and metallic rattling coming from behind me.
Risking a peek at the source, into my sight came a pair of venlil, one a male carrying a pair of bags as well as a couple more strapped to his belt. The bored expression in his eyes was not one of a man who was in high spirits. The other venlil was a woman who was the source of the noise.
Her mottled gray pelt was accented by a tasteful belt design, free of almost any practical functions but not flashy or excessive in garnishment either. At least, that’s what I would say, were it not for the braid of beads that dangled on the belt, jingling with each bounce of the lively woman’s stride. It was clear that such a gaudy accessory was intended to draw attention to her, though why was a mystery. Certainly, the shiny braids seemed designed as decoration first and practical second.
She turned about and I faced back to my browsing before she could catch me staring. Nampi was nowhere in sight, though I figured she was somewhere behind the shelf, sifting through every accessory on the section I'd suggested.
Clink.
Something pelted to my immediate right. I tilted my head to spot a tree nut shell clattering to the floor. Without being able to guess where it came from, I had to wonder what could've launched it over this way. Even with my keen eyesight, nobody in the crowd seemed to be a suspect.
Clink.
Another shell pelted my vicinity, ricocheting off of the floor and hitting the shelf I was standing next to. I ruffled my feathers in frustration - clearly, someone was trying to get my attention, though I couldn't make out who it was. Out of the corner of my vision, the woman from before eyed me curiously as I looked about, though I wasn't interested in engaging with her.
Thwack.
One more shell came flying and, unfortunately, the aim on this one was true, nailing me on the beak. Irritated, I stormed out of the store to find the source of the instigator. I scanned over the bodies to find anyone who could've been responsible for this indignity, eventually concluding that it came from the dining area across the walkway.
Whoever was responsible was in for an earful and I was already structuring which of the offender's family members would be acceptable as fodder for stray words. As I approached, I found the tables were mostly empty save for one, which made my heart begin to drop as I met eyes with the only occupant. Suddenly, I was much less inclined to hurl insults.
“Oh, hi there!” Qitel called out in a sickly sweet tone. “Come, take a seat! We have much to discuss!”
The Exterminator clutched a bag of tree nuts in his claws, a pile of discarded shells already gathered on the table next to him. He grabbed another as I approached, effortlessly prying the shell in half between two claws and tossed the contents into his mouth. “Good protein, these,” he commented as I sat down.
“Must be for that good arm you've got there,” I mumbled. I caught sight of a couple of bags beneath his chair, seemingly from one of the tech stores contained within the center.
“Bah, it's guesswork. So how are you? I haven't heard from you since we worked together!”
“I was just spending time with a friend, shopping and enjoying my time off.”
“Your time off? Oh, am I interrupting something?”
His snide tone irked me, though now wasn’t the time for interjections. “You are, Qitel,” I replied with no shortage of vitriol in my tone. “But I see no harm in chatting for a bit.”
“Good, because I have some merchandise”- he reached into his belt pocket and deposited a couple of items onto the table -“and you’re just the person to look into it, human sympathizer.”
I drew a terse breath in shock, but my worries were quelled when I considered that if Qitel had the power to do anything about it, he would’ve done so instead of approaching me so discreetly. A glance down at the item on the table showed that he was presenting what looked to be a tracker as well as a personal drive. “Found in the garbage,” he told me.
“The guild resorts to dumpster diving when they already have such a bloated budget now?”
“No, featherbrain, I have decided to keep this for myself. These items were found together, sealed in a plastic pouch, and placed in a garbage bin. The city has bans against electronics being placed into public bins, and so I was curious why this wound up in there. Managed to get my coworker, a techie, to crack it open and…”
Qitel reached into his belt again, glowering at me with the same condescending gaze he’d given me when I first saw his face. He seemed to revel in digging for the item as slowly as possible to waste my time. Finally, he found whatever he was looking for and revealed it as a printed piece of paper, folded into eighths. The snobby yotul threw the unfurled paper on the table and rolled it toward me.
I craned my neck to look at the parchment, though I was immediately perplexed by the text on it; it appeared to be some sort of form, going by the boxes with words on the inside, followed by blank lines. “Found on the drive, here,” Qitel told me, jabbing a claw to the storage. “Translator shows it as Terran writing.”
Drawing my holopad from my satchel, I held it over the paper with the translator to get an understanding. Surely enough, the language on it came up positive as a variant of Terran writing and I was affirmed in it being a form of some sort based on the wording of the text. The boxes seemed like an odd sort of job application, asking for the typical name, contacts, and prior work experiences, but quickly took a strange turn as it began asking for where their home on Earth was prior to arrival, what family they had on Venlil Prime if any, and where they worked, implying that they were seeking individuals who were already employed.
I knew little about human employment methods, but I didn’t imagine that sourcing individuals from other jobs was the most efficient way to gain a workforce. Terran service industries already dotted the planet while many humans also found work in local environments. So what was the angle that the creator of this application was going for?
Most concerningly was that the paper had no insignia, identifying marks, or noted address to return the form to. “And where did you find it again?”
“In the garbage, alongside this intact tracker that was activated at the time of recovery. Y’know, when I was dumpster diving. Text on the document showed it was addressed to one ‘Choctaw Nexus’.”
“A pseudonym of some sort?”
“Clearly. Short sorting through the archives shows the first name traces back to the group out east - perhaps you've heard about them. How the name and the items we have here are connected is beyond my understanding, but-”
“Well, this has been an absolutely riveting discussion about your collection of trash, Qitel,” I told him as I stood up to leave. “But this really sounds like an issue to be resolved by your fellow guildsmen.”
The sound of another shell splitting rang out as I turned away.
“I'm not through talking with you, predator.”
The sting as a piece nailed me in the back of the head prompted me to whirl back around, sticking my beak in the insolent yotul's snout. “Perhaps you've forgotten, little man,” I cooed in an equally bittersweet tone to the one he gave me before. “The krakotl never had a problem with settling issues the old-fashioned way before the interview. Try me and find out why I'm in the line of work I am.”
“Oh, we wouldn't want that in such a"- he waved his paw to a group of passersby who had stopped to gawk at my display -”public forum. Please, contain yourself.”
I had to force the feathers on my back to settle and I raised my head away from him. “What else is it you wanted, then?”
“Well, I'd appreciate if you took this merchandise off my paws,” he told me as he brushed the electronics and printout toward me.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you're closer to the humans than I'd ever care to be, and may be able to find out who this Choctaw Nexus is. Something about the package just feels… off. And I know when to trust my feelings. Besides, we both know that you know where Tac is, don't we?”
“I don't-”
“We have videographic evidence that you conspired with a human - of the aforementioned squatters, no less - and let the kid escape. You're not as sneaky as you think, and if we find this ‘Choctaw Nexus’ turns out to be a bad actor that can be traced back to them - and by extension, you - well, there’d be no talking down my boss from having you dealt with. By helping me find out who this is, you may yet be able to clear your name of any wrongdoing.”
I clenched my beak tightly to maintain a straight face. Qitel stood up with a flourish and discarded the bag he was carrying in a bin.
“See, the krakotl were never special for using threats and bullying to get results. It's because you were good at killing predators,” he jeered. “Now, if you don't mind, this primitive has appointments to attend to… old lady who got trampled courtesy of the humans and all. You stay out of trouble, Hileen, and stay in touch.”
The self-assured marsupial melded into the crowd in a matter of seconds, leaving me with a table containing dumpster trophies and a pile of shells. Reluctantly, I swept the shells into my wing and dumped them into the bin before gathering the other two items he'd left me and stuffing them into my bag. I'd been gone from Nampi long enough and she would notice my absence before long.
Crossing the walkway again, I could spot from where I stood that Nampi was indeed still in the Platinum Paw. I approached, and soon I found that while she didn't seem to have noticed me stepping away, she was definitely in a soured mood based on the sagging of her ears and tail. With my talons clacking on the floorboards, I hustled to her side and her mood chippered up ever so slightly as she heard me approach.
I chimed in, “Find anything?”
“Everything. I want everything, Red, and I can't decide on what I want. They all just look so great!”
From behind, a voice called out, “Nampi!”
We both jumped at the exclamation and turned about to spot the venlil lady I'd seen before spring from behind the shelf. The man poked his head from behind the shelf too, though less enthusiastically and with yet another bag in his clutches. My friend's eyes widened in surprise with her tail and ears perking up in kind. With a light in her eyes, she exclaimed, “Nalek!”
The two embraced with shrill squeals and laughter as Nalek's accompaniment and I traded awkward glances.
“It's been too long!”
“You never stayed in contact!”
The women exchanged giddy greetings and the pompous stranger turned to me, leering over me as though she was sizing me up.
“Who's your friend here?”
“Oh she's actually my-...”
Nampi paused for a moment, looking back to me.
“Yeah, she's a friend.”
“A friend,” Nalek repeated while her eyes flicked between Nampi and I. “Right.”
Somehow, I get the impression that that was judgemental.
“I'm Hileen, by the way,” I chirped, “if names are to be exchanged.”
“Hileen, that's a lovely name! And such plumage to match, it's a wonder you aren't swarmed by suitors!”
Internally, I groaned at the notion. The idea of being approached by someone to state their interest in me made me queasy, to say the least. Thankfully, I never had that issue growing up as most of the other drakes in school were too busy chasing girls who didn't have a lousy pigmentation mutation such as myself.
“I'm flattered,” I told Nalek before turning to the man whose name had yet to be introduced. “May we get your name?”
“Sask.”
His response was succinct and tonally flat, though there was a brief silence as I expected him to elaborate. Nalek's beads jingled as she lashed him on the calf with her tail.
“I'm Sask, Nalek's fiancée,” he added, throwing her a look to see if she was satisfied.
Nampi gasped with her paws over her snout. “Fiancée! Nalek, you're getting married and you never even told me!”
“Well, I felt a little guilty since it technically broke our pact we made when we were pups. You remember that?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? ‘Let she who bonds through betrothal first be cast out unto the world for all to admonish her!’”
Sask and I both gave inquisitive expressions. “You two spoke like that as pups?” Sask asked.
“Well, I'm paraphrasing,” Nampi admitted with a playful ear waggle. “But you get the gist.”
“Indeed, they do, sweet Nampi. Now, may I ask what you're doing bringing your avian friend here into this store on this fine claw?”
“Oh, no no, she's the one treating me! Isn't that right, Red?”
I saw her tail twitch and was sure it took restraint not to tickle my neck with it as we stood before her old friend.
“She's been a good friend,” I explained. “So I wanted to reverse the roles for once and treat her to something myself.”
Nampi skipped over to me and wrapped her arm around me, glancing back to her old friend. “See? We'd all be so lucky to have a… friend like her.”
“So I've witnessed. But perhaps you're a bit stuck, as I've seen you prancing up and down these aisles for a while, no? Maybe you don't know what you want?”
“Nalek, you know I've never been good about making my mind up.”
“Some things never change, you ditz. Tell you what: you and Sask go find us a seat and we can catch up all we'd like when we're not taking up aisle space, yes? So shoo! I'll help Hileen here pick one out for you!”
With a bored grunt, Sask made off with the goods he had strapped to himself, followed by Nampi who gave me one more playful tail flick before dashing off into the crowd. I looked back to the mottled snout of Nalek who watched her friend wander off with a wistful glance.
“She was my first, you know.”
“Your what now.”
“Love. Way back when we were growing from pups into young adults back in private education, we explored much together. We saw each other through a lot, including the less savory parts of finding a mate. When Nampi realized it wasn't the boys she was into, she turned to me, and I offered my hand as her stalwart companion… to a point.”
“You weren't interested in her the same way?”
“I'd grown up seeing her as a sister of sorts, so ultimately, when we split it off, we stayed close as friends and she never seemed to be bothered by it. She struggled to find others in school who had the same interests as herself, but she never fussed about it.”
Nalek's claws browsed over a set of pouched bandoliers made with intricate embroidering. “Have you two… spent the night together? Alone?”
Spiritually, I reeled from the inquiry. The whiplash from that question was equitable to being smacked by a human. “Wha- why? How's that pertinent to the subject at hand?”
“That sounds like a ‘yes’ to me,” she purred with a smug glance my way.
I didn't need to begin to list the different ways such a question was violating to our privacy, and yet this woman was treating it like a game.
“Not really your concern, ma'am.”
Nalek chuckled as she picked out one of the bandoliers and inspected it with her claws. “I'd like to think that she and I still have that old connection, despite everything. And to that end, I know that she's no slag and doesn't trust easy. To see her be so vulnerable around you and to talk so highly of someone who's clearly below her income level as a predator…”
She stretched the bandolier out to appreciate the design in its entirety.
“Well, that's something special. Here"- she foisted the accessory into my wings as I stood gobsmacked -"this just screams her name.”
“This is, like, double my budget.”
“Love don't come cheap, darling. You wanna see good things happen, sometimes you've gotta step out of your comfort zone and grasp for it!”
“I'm being lectured by a rich woman on finances.”
“It's a philosophy that goes beyond money, ‘Red.’ The humans have a saying, in their horrendously predatory nomenclature, that contains a kernel of truth: ‘you miss every shot you don't take’.”
Yep, that's definitely a human phrase.
Nalek's steely braid rattled with every flick of the tail as we proceeded through the checkout.
“You want things to change between you and her?” she continued. “Don't just wait for it to happen.”
She let the conversation rest there as we finished the purchase, possibly to let me recuperate mentally from the damage done to my account. Outside, we found our respective partners sitting at a table with Sask looking up in boredom as Nampi chatted away, though she immediately shut up and turned to me with excited flicks of her tail as she saw what I was carrying.
I held it toward her and she happily shot to her feet, effortlessly removing the tags with her claws and clipping it to her belt. Nalek clapped and waggled her tail as the giddy lady did a whirl about to let us admire the accessory. While I'd have preferred one with pockets to give it a more practical use, I decided to let Nalek have the victory as our mutual friend clearly enjoyed it.
The rest of the paw was a blur as the two friends chatted without end until Sask eventually reminded his betrothed that they had a schedule to attend to. Though Nalek offered to call us a taxi home as a gesture of kindness, I saw through her ruse to determine that she was trying to pull a fast one on me - the clever ear flick she gave as we boarded the automated vehicle sold it for me.
We sat in the seats as the vehicle took the express ride home.
Nampi cleared her throat before she spoke, “Thank you for taking some time to spend with me, I know you've had a lot less free time as of late.”
“It's a prison of my own design, if I must be honest. A feedback loop of working a job that doesn't guarantee a paycheck to pay for rent that keeps going up, and thus needing to work more.”
The venlil giggled and chided me, “You really should've stayed in university.”
“There's a lotta 'should haves’ that've led me to this point. No use wondering what could have been.”
“There's always a use for wondering what could have been, Hileen.”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Every decision I make, I always wonder what I could've done differently that it'd have turned out better,” she explained as she waved her free paw to the sky. “It's how you grow as a person, Red.”
Her silky pelt felt heavenly in contrast to the chilly air from outside, making it hard to let her words sink in.
“You rich types seem chock full of philosophy. I wonder if I'll become a brooding orator when I get some cash to my name.”
The cab filled with laughter as we veered around the final corner to my neighborhood, as it was the closest stop. The door popped open accompanied by a chime from the drone, signaling for me to depart.
But before my talons could even hit the pavement, I felt Nampi's scrawny arms wrap around my waist and she let out a pitiful mewl again.
“You don't need to get off here,” she told me with a pouty expression. “We can spend the rest of the paw at my place.”
“I'd love it, but I need to water my plants and get the month's bills sorted before they're due. Again.”
One claw at a time, I plucked her paws from around my waist and the childish venlil conceded, giving me another ear waggle as I departed. “I'll see you tomorrow?” I asked her.
“If you still have eyes by then, then you can bet your ass!”
“I still don't gamble.”
“You'll come around to it eventually.”
I shut the door to the taxi and watched as it carted away the one venlil who I ever truly felt on the same wavelength as. Fiddling with the lock felt like more of a chore than usual at this time as I felt a little voice tugging at the back of my head.
“You miss every shot you don't take.”
The lock felt jammed as I began to jiggle it more vigorously with the electric key. Either the RFID or NFC readers were messed up, as the lock refused to accept my key. I looked up and down the street, though Nampi was now long gone for me to rescind my earlier rejection.
“Every decision I make, I wonder what I could've done differently.”
The door rattled as I grew more and more infuriated with the lock. Qitel's smug expression as he threatened me so boldly in public played back in my head, and I wondered what would've happened had I decided to go through with insulting his mother. Better yet, I wondered what could've been had I not backed down in the face of his unflinching confidence.
Bzzt. The lock rejected my key again.
“Raagh! You fucking useless hunk of junk!”
I squawked in anger and kicked against the door, careless of the consequences of having Markol back down here to admonish another of his tenants for causing a ruckus. The walls were surprisingly sturdy for how ineffective the venlil architecture looked on the surface and I reeled back in pain as my leg throbbed.
Click.
I looked to my left to see that it wasn't my door that came open, but that of the twins. The door cracked open ever so slightly, no doubt nudged by the force of my tirade and I sighed. Nobody was expected to be home at this time, with Vili being away and Luka leaving early to get a head start.
Luka had been given a stern talking-to by the landlord for allowing one of those cats into his apartment through neglect, and I was disappointed that he seemed to have not learned his lesson this time. In fact, it seemed he hadn't even thought to lock the door this time.
I took it upon myself to shut the door for him before turning back to my own apartment door. Grasping the key with one talon, I turned it ever so gently, though the lock still refused to give in.
With a bit more force, the torsion applied to the key felt as though it should've snapped it by now. Markol sure didn't waste any expense for the security for this place, doubtlessly as a result of his history in electronic security, but I wished now that he had provided a way in that didn't rely on privately sourced locks.
Considering my options as I stood trapped outside, I realized that I had never gotten around to paying for a new lock for Tadi. I'd considered contacting her to inform her that Tac had made it out of town safely, but that'd involve also telling her that her son was now in the care of humans, as if that was a better outcome to her.
Stepping out front, I realized that there was one more option I hadn't considered: my window. I usually forgot to lock it after I was through letting air circulate and I was silently grateful to myself for this absentmindedness now more than ever. Sticking a foot on the threshold, I lifted myself in a way that'd allow me to have leverage to force the window open.
The window made me fight for every inch, but I felt a strange satisfaction as it slowly opened up into an entrance that I could squeeze my way through. I let out a sigh as my talons clicked against the cool floor and slid the window shut.
I laid my satchel on the couch and turned back to the door, ready to unleash my fury on the disobedient object. But as I reached for the lock to manually open the door, I noted that the lights on the RFID interface both flashed at once, blinking erratically. Red and green flickered without rhyme or reason, indicating that it was both active and inactive.
As pretty as the colors were, I now knew that Markol's locks were not as reliable as he had touted them about: typically, such would not occur unless the device was damaged deliberately, and yet nothing indicated that I'd had uninvited guests. One could pray that those cats didn't secretly know how to cobble together an ECM jammer, but my personal wager was on faulty equipment.
Settling in, I browsed my favorite soaps on the television. For what was intended to be a day of relaxation and show of affection for a friend, I found myself rather wound up over all the things that added up. Couples threw around flowery words and swooned over one another on screen as I felt the tension diffuse. My holopad rang and I turned it over to spot that Nampi was informing me that she'd arrived home safely.
>>> Feels empty here, all alone.
She made sure to drive the point home with a sticker of a venlil making a pouty expression.
Next time, I thought to myself, I'll get it right for you, Nampi.
[ First / Previous ]

i’m a diehard hip hop fan, more specifically Kendrick, so most of this stuff I know by heart so why not make a post pointing out EVERY SINGLE wrong thing i can catch Pyro say. Im mostly making this since it pisses me off when people who have zero clue about something come in and try to sound confident as hell about it while getting countless things wrong. I will try to link proper sources for everything he got wrong as well. Enjoy! By the way when I say Dot it is Kendrick I’m talking about. And I will also put the time stamps of what i’m talking about
Also if i got something wrong please correct me so I can edit it. Most everything here should be correct however
First off and it isn’t Pyro, it’s Critikal, but talking about how youtubers in 2016 ruined diss tracks and Dot vs Drake is the first beef since then to make real diss tracks is so funny because Pusha T vs Drake happened in 2018 I believe so just goes to show how in touch they are
Okay once again something petty , it’s small but it kinda shows how much research was done from the get go, because Kendrick’s real name isn’t Kendrick Lamar, It is Kendrick Duckworth, Lamar is just his middle name. So it kinda shows the research level when you can’t get the dudes name right when you’re supposed to be saying the full name of both dudes.
4:50
Claim - Drake came from nothing thus Drake flexes money
Okay so this is the first major one I think. Drake did not come from nothing, he grew up in rich neighborhoods, more specifically Forest Hill in Toronto. Not to mention his father’s side of the family had many successful musicians. He grew up rich. This is why people dislike Drake as he tends to go on his records rapping about the hard hoods and shit like this when he grew up infinitely more wealthy than most other rappers.
5:05
Claim - Kendrick does not like Drake as he flexes too much
Not even close. The actual origin of their beef is said to come from Kendrick’s legendary verse on Control. It is said that after Kendrick made his verse Drake felt very disrespected and thus attempted to blacklist kendrick from various radio stations which didn’t work. Kendrick felt that Drake took the verse too personally when Kendrick was just being competitive(it is vital to note that every other artist Kendrick mentioned ignore it or praised him for it). And eventually the animosity just kept ramping up as many people began to perceive drake as a culture vulture due to the fact he’d rap about stuff such as hard life in the streets or gangs despite never growing up around that only because it was trendy at that time. Which funnily enough is what pyro is doing right now, he’s culture vulturing off the beef since it’ll give him money but doesn’t really care
6:00-8:00
I don’t see why bring up Pusha T vs Drake as this isn’t that relevant to the Dot beef. Not to mention he just skips over 90% of things said in the beef. But yea it’s not Adoeniss lmao.
8:15
Okay so that wasn’t a diss track. That’s a sneak diss, something very big to distinguish as in the hip hop community sneak disses are seen as a pussies way to start beef while trying not to. this is especially relevant to drake as one of the biggest criticism of drake is how often he sneak disses rappers. to the point dot himself mentioned it in one of the diss tracks. Also tory le ness. also again i don’t see why bring this up as it is not relevant to the Dot beef. It wasn’t even a beef in the first place megan never fired back nor did drake even say her name. just feels like padding runtime
9:15- 9:30
Why is bigfoot being brought up at all it is not relevant, i’ve said it like three time but it really isn’t you can skip over all this and not have missed a single thing
10:05
Claim - Megan’s law line is about drake
It isn’t, this is the line that kickstarted the nicki beef. Nicki’s husband and i think brother are both sex offenders, Megan’s line about Megan’s law references a law in america where it is required for the police to make a sex offenders information public. Maybe it can be about drake but it almost unanimously agreed it’s about nicki. Okay so i listened to everything he said, basically the same I said. So yea it’s probably not about drake only reason people think it is is because kendrick called him a predator
14:03
Metros booming track? For all the scary dogs? what? Everything else he said seems accurate however. He didn’t mention the prince and jackson line though which was specifically at drake
16:30
No, GKMC was the classic he was talking about. The actual line would be the classic is GKMC, the overhyped is TPAB and the prime was DAMN. This is the only one that makes sense as not many people see section 80 as a classic whereas GKMC is seen as the first of the four run classics by Kendrick. Also good kid and Maad City
21:14
They weren’t directly involved but essentially Drake was saying that all the dudes I collab with clear you because of me. And that you’re not even the biggest in your own label, cus I think him and SZA were both top dawg. Pyro also doesn’t mention the push up and give me 50 line despite being the fucking chorus
21:48
That’s not it? At all? What Rick ross was trying to say is that Drake is so insecure about his own music that he had to “leak” the song in order to see if the public liked it enough for him to officially release it
22:20
That’s not what he claimed at all either. The nose job thing is not about not giving credit to his mentors, it’s about how Drake is seen as confused about his race and how he never felt black enough and that he isn’t black enough. Pusha and Dot tackled the same thing head on. Hell Dot literally ended Euphoria by saying Drake shouldn’t say the n word no more. It’s nothing abt giving credit rather adding on to the fake narrative that’s chased Drake his whole career
23:35
Thats part but not the only reason. He used the voice of the most iconic west side rapper ever to diss and make fun of tue current best west side rapper. This is why that became so controversial among the hip hop community, which he doesn’t mention. Because it’s corny to use the voice of a dead man to diss a dude who’s seen as the protege of Tupac and the current rep of the west coast.
25:48
It’s small but hearing Pyro act like DMX is just “some random rapper that passed away that said the same thing” is so annoying. Like bro isn’t a legendary rapper himself. It’s the equivalent of saying “oh yea and this interview of this one boxer, Mike Tyson idk if yk him, said the same shit”
26:13
No he isn’t saying that because Drake isn’t an activist he’s saying that because of the fact that Drake grew up super wealthy, but likes to act and pretend like he had a hard up bringing. The black enough just comes form the way Drake is perceived as a culture vulture who likes to pretend to live a life he didn’t.
29:33
Most people don’t care about writers. Kanye is a legendary rapper and he was well known for having writers in his track. The problem comes from when you attempt to portray yourself as an incredible writer when in reality you have 20 dudes doing it and you ignore that part. What makes it funnier is that Kendrick actually mentioned this in Euphoria I believe with the “It’s 1v20 with all the writers”. Essentially it’s the same as an athlete taking steroids but pushing himself as clean. Just makes you feel fake, which again is the main narrative around drake
31:00
Thing is that it wasn’t just his son, he literally addresses each family member, including his father. Also the predator line is referencing his father, and also Baka who’s an actual sex offender, so idk why mention that but not mention who it is he’s talking abt
Okay, so I think that’s it. Pyro weirdly left out vital parts of the beef such as how Drake was constantly alluding to Dots wife cheating with the bodyguard. Or other stuff like that. Or just not explaining certain bars and what they mean when it’s like 20 seconds at most. Or why some backlash occurred or like leaving certain things that can paint a picture of why Drake lost which is what he’s attempting to do. Such as him leaving out the fact that the Tupac part got backlash because of the west coast connection. Or how Drake isn’t critiqued for flexing but rather pretending to live a life he never did just because it’s trendy
In other words it just sounds like a white dude who’s never even listened to one song by either artist trying to make money off of it. Stick to Sunnyv2 and inflated furry porn pyro.

My opti is going out in my 92. (I believe) my old water pump went bad, and was leaking on the opti. I’m also getting opti/ignition related codes (can’t remember which code exactly) every 50 miles or so. I have the hood and bumper off already, as well as rad and shroud so everything is right there. I don’t really want to spend $500 on a Petris unit, but if that’s the only good one then I’ll have to. I’ve checked out sac city but they are on back order.